A Russian warship stationed in occupied Crimea was destroyed by Ukrainian forces

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that a Russian Navy ship stationed in the occupied Crimean Peninsula was damaged in an air strike launched by Ukrainian forces.

Pictures and videos circulated on social media show the destruction of “Novocherkassk” and its debris scattered hundreds of meters away.

The 112-meter (360-foot) ship was capable of transporting 10 tanks and about 225 soldiers.

The Ukrainian military says it was recently used to transport weapons and soldiers to the Zaporizhzhya region, which is partly controlled by Russian forces.

In southeastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city of Marinka in the Donetsk region, according to Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaloznyas.

He was commenting on Moscow's claims that the Russian army had completely captured Marinka.

Zaloznias said there was nothing controversial about the withdrawal: “This is war, so the fact that we have now retreated to the outskirts of Marinka and established positions behind Marinka in some areas cannot cause any public outrage. Unfortunately, that is how war is.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to bury its dead. Relatives and friends on Tuesday joined the widow of a 31-year-old Ukrainian soldier in the Ukrainian city of Irbin to mourn his death.

Worshipers gathered for the funeral of Yuri Antonenko, 31, after he was killed in fighting near Marinka.

The ceremony was attended by Irbin Mayor Oleksandr Markushin, who said the city hosts three to four funerals a week.

Markushin said that the current moment represents a “turning point” for Ukraine, describing it as a battle for the country's existence.