Defense Intelligence Service of Ukraine
Video footage from Ukrainian defense intelligence shows the Russian patrol ship hit in the Black Sea.
CNN –
The Ukrainian military reported another successful attack on a Russian warship on Tuesday. This was the latest in a series of naval defeats for Moscow's Black Sea Fleet, whose numbers have been reduced by more than a third since the start of the war, according to Kiev.
Ukraine's defense intelligence said maritime drones operated by its Group 13 special forces unit attacked and sank the 1,300-ton Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait, which separates occupied Crimea from the coast of southwestern Russia.
“As a result of the attack by the Magura V5 maritime drones, the Russian ship Project 22160 'Sergei Kotov' suffered damage to the stern, starboard and port sides,” which led to a fire on board the ship, it said in a statement. The military later confirmed that the ship had sunk.
The mission was carried out in cooperation with the Ukrainian Navy and with the support of the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, it said.
Andriy Yusov, representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the Sergei Kotov had been attacked and hit before, but “this time the Sergei Kotov was certainly destroyed.”
Defense Intelligence Service of Ukraine
A video released by Ukrainian Defense Intelligence shows a fire aboard the 1,300-ton Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov.
Seven Russian crew members were killed and six injured, Ukraine's defense intelligence claimed on Telegram. It was not disclosed how Ukraine obtained this information.
Ukraine's maritime drones have taken a heavy toll on Russian naval vessels, particularly in recent months, with the Black Sea deployment a rare strategic success for Kiev compared to recent battlefield setbacks.
In mid-February, the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov was attacked with the same drones that were used against the Sergei Kotov. The drones punched “critical holes” in the left side of the Russian ship before sinking it, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Telegram.
In early February, Ukraine claimed that its forces had disabled about 33% of Russian warships, i.e. 24 disabled ships and one submarine. Russia's worst naval loss of the war was the sinking of the guided missile cruiser Moskva in April 2022.
The Sergei Kotov was one of the newest Russian ships in the Black Sea Fleet. A report by Russian state news agency TASS on January 21, 2021 said the ship was launched that day and would soon join the Black Sea Fleet.
According to the TASS report, the 300-foot (91-meter) warship had a range of 6,000 nautical miles, could carry a crew of 80, and was equipped with a helicopter, a 57mm cannon and an advanced air defense system. Ukraine said the price was $65 million.
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