'Significant milestone' as Ukraine hits two Russian warships with air strikes on Crimea

The Ukrainian military said it hit two large Russian landing ships in attacks on the annexed Crimean peninsula early on Sunday.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has called it "a historic moment for Ukraine and a further shift in Black Sea dynamics".

A communications centre and infrastructure used by the Russian navy in the Black Sea were also targeted, with storm shadow missiles reportedly used. 

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Mr Shapps called it a "significant milestone", which "means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in the Black Sea, even though the Russian Fleet has operated there since 1783".

A Moscow-installed official in the region reported a major Ukrainian air assault, saying air defences had shot down more than 10 missiles over the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

"The defence forces of Ukraine successfully hit the Azov and Yamal large landing ships, a communications centre and also several infrastructure facilities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in temporarily occupied Crimea," Ukraine's military said.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, said on the Telegram messaging app that transport infrastructure including passenger boats was partially damaged.

"Of the six boats, five had their windows broken ... During the day, the windows of the damaged boats will be replaced and as they are restored they will be brought back online," he said.

Posting on X, Mr Shapps said that Russia's Black Sea Fleet is now "functionally inactive".