Russia has confirmed that 34 soldiers were killed in the attack on the Russian ship.

```html

Russia was forced to confirm information it had long kept secret. It has emerged that 34 sailors died on the Russian warship hit by the British-made Storm Shadow missile during the Christmas period last year.

The incident came to light through a social media post by the mother of a deceased sailor. The mother expressed, "I am proud of you, my son. It is an honor to be your mother" in a post about her 23-year-old son Vsevolod Kurbatov. The young sailor had lost his life just one day after his birthday.

In the attack carried out by Ukraine on December 26, 2023, the 112-meter-long Russian landing ship named Novocherkassk was sunk. Among those who lost their lives in the attack were 24-year-old Alexander Kolotvinov, 20-year-old Kirill Korf, and the youngest, 19-year-old Vlad Yaremenko.

The Storm Shadow missile, valued at £2.5 million (approximately 100 million TL), used in the attack was provided as part of the military aid that the UK has given to Ukraine. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy had stated that his country’s support for Ukraine would continue.

While it was reported that the sunken ship was carrying military supplies, the Putin administration tried to conceal the death toll for 11 months. However, the families of the deceased sailors revealed the truth through their posts.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Ukraine's next major target is the Kerch Bridge, which provides the only land connection for Russia to Crimea. The bridge had previously been attacked in October 2022.