In a recent operation near Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukrainian forces claim to have successfully destroyed a Russian missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet. The targeted vessel, known as the Ivanovets, a small warship, reportedly sustained direct hits to its hull during an overnight operation, leading to its subsequent sinking, as revealed by military intelligence.
Video footage released by the Ukrainian forces portrays the moment of impact, culminating in a substantial explosion. Despite these developments, Russian authorities have yet to comment on the incident. However, a Russian military blogger identified as “Voenkor Kotenok” shared on Telegram that naval drones struck the boat three times, causing it to sink.
Analysis of the Ukrainian video indicates that the features seen on the vessel correspond to the Tarantul, a class of missile boats like the Project 12411, utilized by various navies, including the Russian-operated Ivanovets.
The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate disclosed that the operation took place in Lake Donuzlav, a saltwater bay on the western side of the Crimean peninsula housing a naval base. The agency attributed the destruction of the boat to soldiers from its special unit, “Group 13.”
According to the Directorate, a series of direct hits to the hull rendered the Russian ship immobile, causing it to eventually sink. Despite Russian search and rescue efforts in the area, they were unsuccessful. The Ukrainian statement estimated the value of the sunken ship to be between $60-70 million (£47-55 million).
Foreign Ministry official Olexander Scherba commended the attack as “impressive” and highlighted the rapid evacuation of the entire crew following the initial hit at 03:45 (01:45 GMT). Ukraine, despite lacking its own fleet, has achieved notable success in the Black Sea conflict, repeatedly damaging or destroying Russian warships.
In a similar incident last December, Kyiv reported the destruction of the large landing ship Novocherkassk at Feodosia, Crimea, a claim later confirmed by Russia, acknowledging damage to the ship. Additionally, in April 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Moskva, flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was damaged and ultimately sunk, apparently by Ukrainian missiles.
Notably, a missile strike on the Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol in September prompted the relocation of much of the Russian navy’s Black Sea fleet to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, as evidenced by satellite images. These events underscore Ukraine’s resilience and strategic effectiveness in countering Russian naval assets in the region.