Russia loses three large amphibious assault ships in Black Sea, 10 more to go
As Ukrainian forces have destroyed the Novocherkassk Russian landing ship tank (LST) in occupied Crimea, the number of such vessels lost by Russia has reached three, with ten more remaining in the Black Sea.
Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 28 December on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda; Defense Express, a Ukrainian information and analytical company specialising in reviewing military equipment, weapons and the defence industry of Ukraine
Details: The UK MoD mentioned that Ukraine’s strike on 25 December utterly destroyed the Ropucha-class Novocherkassk, an LST of the Russian Navy, as it had been docked in the port of Feodosiia on the southern coast of Russia-occupied Crimea.
"Open source evidence suggests it is highly likely the vessel was carrying explosive cargo when it was hit, causing a large secondary explosion," the review stressed.
This incident has increased the number of LSTs lost by Russia since the beginning of the large-scale invasion to three: the Saratov sank on 24 March 2022, and the Minsk was functionally destroyed in a dry dock on 13 September 2023. Two other vessels were likely damaged.
UK analysts say Russia likely planned to utilise its LST force to mount major amphibious operations during the invasion and doubled the number of these ships in the Black Sea as it prepared for war.
"As the war has dragged on, the ships have been more commonly employed in providing logistical support. This is a significant role because it augments the vital and relatively fragile road and rail connection of the Crimea Bridge, which links Crimea to Russia," UK Defence Intelligence noted.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media outlet Defense Express reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had irreversibly destroyed three large Russian LSTs in the Black and Azov Seas, and with the destruction of the Project 775 Novocherkassk in the occupied town of Feodosiia, Russia's number of this kind of vessels in the Black Sea has dropped to ten.
In addition to the Novocherkassk, the Minsk (Project 775, assigned to the Baltic Fleet) was destroyed in a dry dock in Sevastopol on 13 September this year, along with the Rostov-on-Don submarine, and the Saratov (Project 1171) was sunk in the town of Berdiansk on 24 March 2022. The Olenegorsky Gornyak LST, hit by an uncrewed surface vessel in Russia's Novorossiysk on 4 August this year, remained afloat and was put into dry dock.
The Russians still have two LSTs of Project 1171 Tapir (Orsk and Nikolay Filchenkov), seven Project 775 LSTs (Tsesar Kunikov, Yamal, Azov, Kaliningrad, Georgy Pobedonosets, Korolev, and Olenegorskiy Gornyak from different Russian fleets), and one Project 11711 Ivan Gren (Pyotr Morgunov).
A total of 10 large amphibious assault ships are operating in the Black Sea.
Satellite imagery released by MT Anderson revealed that there were a total of four Project 775 LSTs in the occupied city of Sevastopol (Crimea) on 20 December, including two that were undergoing repairs.
Frigate pier and the repair bay to the south are fairly empty
— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) December 23, 2023
2x Bora Class
2x Ropucha Class
1x Krivak Class
Grain Thief Matros Koshka is back again loading #stolenukrainiangrain pic.twitter.com/qT9spWfXaZ
Background:
- Estonian intelligence believes that the strike on the Novocherkassk will further intensify pressure on Russia.
- UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated that the destruction of the Russian Novocherkassk LST in the port of Feodosiia refutes the claims of a supposed "deadlock" in the war in Ukraine.
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