Russia lost another brand new ship. It still smelled like new
The Black Sea Fleet has been reduced by the ship Pavel Derzhavin. Why can Ukrainians speak of a major success? This is a Russian unit, which entered Putin's army only three years ago. We recall its most important features.
5:03 PM EDT, October 13, 2023
Information about the problems of this Russian ship has been appearing for several days. Initially, it was even suggested that it had been damaged as a result of hitting a sea mine, which the Russians themselves had previously set up. This information was not confirmed, but Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian navy, said that Pavel Derzhavin had indeed been withdrawn from further military operations.
Russian ship Pavel Deryavin damaged
Paweł Dierżawin is one of the most modern patrol ships that the Black Sea Fleet has been equipped with, the third unit of the 22160 project. It was launched in February 2019, and entered service at the end of 2020.
It is over 295 feet long and 46 feet wide. This multi-purpose vessel was constructed primarily with patrol and search missions in mind as well as monitoring waters under Russian control, but it can also be used to aid in convoys, and even selected offensive operations. It has been adapted for the operation of Ka-27 and Ka-226 helicopters (there's space for one such aircraft) and provisions have also been made for a landing boat and armaments.
Most of the anticipated weaponry was not, however, assembled as standard (although exceptions were made, e.g. in the form of the AK-176MA-01 caliber 76.2 mm gun and electronic warfare means), it was to be added according to current needs. When introducing the ship into service, the Russians provided information that it could even carry Kalibr-NK missiles. It is unclear whether Pavel Derzhavin was ultimately equipped with it. This is a dangerous weapon with a range of up to approximately 1553 miles.
Attacks on Sevastopol very painful for Russians
This is another recent successful attack by the Ukrainians on the Black Sea Fleet. Up until now, the air attack on the shipyard in Sevastopol has been considered the biggest success, during which they managed to destroy two valuable Russian units - a submarine and a landing ship of the 775 (Ropucha) project. Both were undergoing minor repair work. The Ukrainians took full advantage of this moment, and for shelling they used, among other things, Storm Shadow maneuverable missiles provided by Great Britain. They are currently one of the most powerful weapons that Ukraine has, allowing them to attack targets up to about 311 miles away.
The decommissioning of the Paweł Dierżawin warship will also be a significant loss for the Russians. The Black Sea Fleet only had four units of the 22160 project, now there will be even fewer.
