Huge blow for Putin as Russia’s only remaining missile cruiser in Black Sea ‘The Zyklon’ is destroyed by Ukraine

PUTIN’S newest and only remaining missile cruiser in the Black Sea was destroyed by Ukraine forces in a huge blow to his naval forces.

The “Zyklon” was destroyed alongside the 266-M minesweeper, Kovrovets, in a devastating strike at the weekend.

The Zyklon is the 26th to be sunk by Ukraine and was blown up by US-supplied ATACMS missiles killing six people and injuring 11, sources said.

It comes after Russia retreated its naval headquarters from the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Krasnodor.

The Zyklon, which was launched into service in July last year, was a Karakut-class missile ship armed with various weapons, including Kalibr warheads.

Its sinking is part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign targeting the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

In April, Ukraine’s Navy said it had struck the salvage ship Kommuna - the oldest ship still serving in the Russian Navy.

Kremlin military chiefs withdrew nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea, according to Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk.

He said their “most valuable assets” were moved from its base in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk.

Ukraine’s top brass said 33 per cent of the Black Sea Fleet’s 184 warships had been disabled.

In a further blow, Russia’s faltering assault on Kharkiv appeared to be unravelling after advancing soldiers were pegged back towards the border towns of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.