Russia has lost another major ship in the Black Sea after the $65 million USD Sergei Kotov patrol ship (of project 22160) was hit and sunk by Ukrainian naval drones, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) reported on Telegram on March 5.
The attack by the Magura V5 sea drones caused damage to the stern, right, and left sides of the Sergei Kotov, HUR said. The ship was targeted within Ukraine’s territorial waters, specifically near the Kerch Strait.
The loss of the Sergei Kotov marks the loss of the ninth large landing vessel in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, as Ukrainian navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, reported that only five of 13 remained in tact as of February 15.
The successful operation was conducted in collaboration with Ukraine’s Naval Forces and supported by Ukraine’s Digital Ministry.
Despite its limited capabilities, Ukraine has successfully destroyed and damaged 28 Russian ships over two years of the ongoing full-scale war.
Explosions were reported across Crimea overnight as the Ukrainians attacked with what appeared to be a mixture of boat drones and missiles, aiming at Russian warships and defences in the area, along with the Kerch Bridge. It was not immediately clear whether the Kotov had sunk as a result of the explosion, but it is likely to be heavily damaged.
It is just the latest ship of the Black Sea Fleet to be hit by Ukraine which has sunk more than fifth of the fleet despite not having its own navy.
This is what a Ukrainian sea drone attack on a Russian warship looks like, only from the Russian point of view:
The crew of the Caesar Kunikov battleship, which sunk three weeks ago, captured their doomed battle against drones attacking their ship before it went down. The video shows them desperately trying to hit the drones with rifles and gun on board the ship but without success, before several explosions tore the ship apart.
Sources: YouTube; The New Voice of Ukraine