Operations with uncrewed surface vessels could harm Russian logistics – UK Intelligence
The role of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in the war between Russia and Ukraine is growing and they can be used against the weakest points in Russian sea-based logistics, according to UK Defence Intelligence.
Source: UK Defence Intelligence update on the Russian-Ukrainian war for 9 August, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The Russian merchant tanker Sig was damaged near the Kerch Strait on 4 August by a drone attack.
A day earlier, there was a similar attack on the Olenegorskiy Gornyak landing ship, and two days before that, it appears, there was an unsuccessful attack on Russian patrol boats when they were believed to be escorting the Russian merchant ship Sparta IV, according to UK intelligence.
Analysts note that although Sig and Sparta IV are civilian vessels, they have been used for a long time to transport fuel and military cargo between Russia and Syria.
Quote: "Since 28 February 2022, Russian military ships have not been able to pass through the Bosphorus, leaving Russian military forces in Syria and the Mediterranean heavily dependent upon Sig, Sparta IV, and a handful of other civilian vessels.
The attacks show that USV operations are increasingly a major component of modern naval warfare and can be turned against the weakest links of Russia's sea supply lanes."
Background:
- On 5 August, UK Intelligence reported that the ship Olenegorskiy Gornyak, which was attacked in the port of Novorossiysk, became the largest seriously damaged military vessel of the Russian Federation after the sunken cruiser Moskva.
- A representative of the US Department of Defense said after the attacks that he was "not going to get into talking about Ukrainian operations or alleged Ukrainian operations."
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