British intelligence assesses consequences of Ukraine's strike on Askold ship in Kerch for Russia

This is stated in a report by the UK Ministry of Defence.

It is noted that on November 4, 2023, a newly built Russian naval corvette was almost certainly damaged after a strike while it was located near the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch in occupied Crimea.

At the same time, British intelligence said that the Karakurt-class Askold, launched in 2021, had not been commissioned into the Russian Navy. The incident took place in eastern Crimea farther than most previous Ukrainian-claimed long-range strikes.

"Ukraine's capability to hit Crimean shipbuilding infrastructure will likely cause Russia to consider relocating farther from the front line, delaying the delivery of new vessels," the British Defence Ministry emphasized.

What is known about the destruction of Askold

The Askold was the latest ship of the Karakurt project with stealth technology and eight shafts for launching Kalibr cruise missiles. One of its features was the presence of the Pantsir-S1 naval type, the ship's air defence system.

On November 4, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Crimea: the Armed Forces confirmed successful strikes on the Zaliv shipyard and damage to the Russian Askold missile carrier.

On the morning of November 5, the damage to one of the most modern ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Kalibr cruise missile carrier, during yesterday's Kerch attack was confirmed by the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk. On November 6, the ministry confirmed the damage to the Russian missile carrier Askold and published a photo of the damaged ship. 

Subsequently, the Russian Defence Ministry recognized the missile attack on the Zaliv shipyard in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Radio Svoboda showed satellite images showing the damage to the ship. 

The ship was heavily damaged and probably beyond repair.