Black Sea fleet suffers further damage. More than a ship sank in Kerch
2:03 PM EST, November 5, 2023
One of the Black Sea Fleet's most modern ships was sunken by Ukrainian pilots. The ship was a carrier of Kalibr-type maneuvering missiles, which is just a fringe of the Russian navy's losses.
On Saturday afternoon, social media was flooded with reports of an attack near the Crimean bridge. Residents of Kerch spoke of halted traffic on the strait crossover, while images of a significant explosion at the Zaliv shipyard were circulated. Many fire trucks and military personnel vehicles were dispatched by Crimea's Russian occupiers to the shipyard.
Ukrainian assault on the Black Sea Fleet
Russian sources swiftly verified that "numerous missiles" were launched from Ukraine, aiming at various targets in Crimea. Nevertheless, this doesn't cover the complete scenario. While the attack was indeed conducted by the Ukrainian Air Force, the number of targets wasn't vast.
Maneuvering missiles were guided by tactical aviation pilots at the Zaliv shipyard infrastructure in Kerch. The attack was unstoppable, resulting in a massive loss for the Black Sea Fleet.
Rocket Corvette Karakut
The 22800 Karakut missile corvette was the primary target. This was verified by the commander of the Ukrainian Air Forces, Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk. But this wasn't the only loss.
The Karakuts, arguably the most cutting-edge ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, are small missile ships. They span 220 feet and displace up to 936 US tons. Their potent advantage is their capability to carry Kalibr-type maneuvering missiles, with each ship housing as many as eight 3C14 universal launchers.
Zaliv Shipyard in Kerch
The sinking of one of the ships constitutes a blow to the Black Sea Fleet. However, the real anguish may lie in the destruction of the Zaliv shipyard, the primary production hub for Karakut ships.
Last year, the shipyard delivered a Karakut ship, and by May they had started factory tests for another one named Askold 802. Construction of two additional missile corvettes (803 Amur and 804 Tucha) was occurring, with plans for even more. The 805 Typhoon was supposed to depart the shipyard docks in 2024.
Thus, the Kerch shipyards were set to supply the Black Sea Fleet with three Kalibr-type maneuvering missile carriers, packing a collective salvo of 24 missiles. The extent of infrastructure damage remains unknown, but the Ukrainian side assures that the attack was successful.
