Watch as Putin’s gas rigs in Black Sea burst into flames as Ukraine unleashes barrage of sea drones in daring night raid
THIS is the moment Vladimir Putin's gas rigs in the Black Sea burst into flames after being hammered by sea drones.
Ukrainian forces strike the platforms in daring night raids using the unmanned craft as the seek to dominate the ocean and defend against Russia.
The latest footage released by the valiant Ukrainians shows a number of strikes on the rigs which they believe are used to house surveillance equipment.
The sea drones attack the structures at their base while air drones strike the platform.
Clips show rigs engulfed in massive blazes while others show huge explosions on the platforms as the drones strike.
The drones capture footage as they race towards the massive beams holding the platform up, before they explode.
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Other drones which circle the area then capture the footage and show the rigs engulfed in fire.
One clip caught by a flying FPV drone shows people desperately run away as they hear the drone descend in at them and explode.
Another clip even shows a dolphin jumping up out of the water as it swims along with the drone.
The platforms were found sitting off the coast of occupied Crimea, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, said.
He said: “Naval drones of the Navy unit carried out targeted strikes on Russian targets.
“The enemy’s surveillance systems - located on the captured gas platforms off the coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea - were destroyed.
“The occupiers will not remain on our territory - we will get them everywhere.”
However, Neizhpapa did not reveal when the attacks took place nor say how many platforms were hit.
The footage was released the day after Ukraine lost half a dozen sea drones in an attempted strike on Vladimir Putin’s £3 billion Crimean Bridge crossing between Russia and the occupied peninsula.
The bridge is perhaps the most heavily guarded structure in Russia apart from the Kremlin and the dictator's palaces.
It comes as Russia is set to deploy Oreshnik hypersonic missiles capable of carrying nukes at Nato's doorstep.
Putin and pal Alexander Lukashenko today signed a security agreement that finalises the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear arms in Belarus - Moscow's closest ally.
Putin unveiled the nuclear-capable weapon last month after using it to strike the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine, sharply escalating tensions in the almost three-year-long conflict.
The dictator revealed he blasted Ukraine with a new kind of ballistic missile that hurtled down from the edge of space in a “depraved” act of nuclear brinkmanship.
It was a direct response to Ukraine's use of US-made ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles.
As the two sides fire missiles and drones at each other discussions around peace have begun to thrash out what an end to the war could look like.
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Ukrainian officials have held high level talks with US President-elect Donald Trump's team
Zelensky recently said Ukraine could agree to a cease-fire if Ukraine were permitted to join Nato.
How will Donald Trump end Ukraine War?
BRITISH troops could be deployed to Ukraine to enforce an 800-mile buffer zone as part of Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict.
Details of the President-Elect's plan to end the war emerged after a call with Ukrainian President Zelensky following his victory.
His potential plan sees a demilitarised zone down the locked front line as well as Kyiv agreeing not to join NATO for 20 years.
In exchange, the US would continue to arm Ukraine to the teeth to prevent Putin from invading again.
A member of the Trump team told : "We can do training and other support but the barrel of the gun is going to be European.
"We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British and French to do it."