Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Naval Base

Ukraine has launched a missile strike on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea. The attack led to plumes of smoke seen over the building in Sevastopol, and Moscow has reported that one soldier is missing as a result. This strike is part of a series of recent attacks by Ukraine on Crimea, which include targeting an air-defense system and two naval vessels. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Canadian parliament amidst these developments to express gratitude for Canada's support and labeled them as an "example for others around the world." Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine's focus is on saving lives and proposed that victory should lie with the people rather than the Kremlin. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged additional support to Ukraine worth 650 million Canadian dollars, with provisions such as armored vehicles and F-16 fighter jet pilot and engineer training. It has been revealed that Ukraine utilized Storm Shadow missiles, provided by Britain and France, in the attack on Crimea. Russia's defense ministry claimed to have shot down five of the missiles, while the Ukrainian military-backed StratCom Ukraine asserted that the naval base was successfully hit. Ukrainian air force commander Gen Mykola Oleshchuk affirmed on Telegram that more attacks are expected to come. These strikes against Crimea hold significant strategic and symbolic importance, as the Black Sea fleet not only serves as a base for attacking Ukraine but also represents Russia's long-established military presence in the region. President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that Russia had to seize control of Crimea to prevent it from falling under Western influence. Furthermore, Russia has repeatedly threatened to block shipping routes used by Ukraine for exporting grain using its fleet. As President Zelensky visits North America to garner international support for Ukraine, he met with President Joe Biden in Washington and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. While there have been concerns, particularly among Republicans, regarding the level of funding for Ukraine, Zelensky expressed gratitude to Canada, which has the world's largest Ukrainian diaspora, for their assistance and support since Russia's invasion. Trudeau reiterated his country's resolute backing of Ukraine.