Something is happening on the Black Sea. Russians are under fire
9:27 AM EDT, October 13, 2023
Ukrainians attacked more Russian units in the Black Sea. It's possible that they again hit a Project 22160 ship. This would be the second loss of this type for Putin's army in just a few days. Ukrainian services revealed that the Sea Baby drones were used for the attack.
On Wednesday, October 11th, the first reports of damage to the Pavel Derzhavin ship emerged. Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian navy, had just confirmed this information when reports of further explosions and hits on other invader ships began to surface.
Initial reports posted on social media suggested that it could be a Bujan-M missile ship. However, the Defence Express portal specializing in military topics notices that in the photos and recordings you can see a silhouette matching the ship of Project 22160. Therefore, it does not rule out the depletion of the Black Sea Fleet by another similar vessel within just a few days. There are no doubts, however, about the weapon that the Ukrainians used this time.
Attack on Russian ship in the Black Sea. Sea Baby in action
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that Sea Baby surface drones were used in the operation. This is a weapon that has previously caused problems for the Russians. They were used to attack various targets such as the Crimean Bridge and other ships.
The Sea Baby drones are manufactured by Ukrainians. In the latest variants, they allow for the transportation of up to 1873.92 lbs of explosives (initially, in the first specimens it was 440.925 lbs and 881.849 lbs). This ensures a large striking force, hence why the drones, which resemble the shape of a motorboat, have already been tagged as the "nightmare of the Black Sea Fleet". They are controlled using AR goggles.
Carriers of powerful rocket missiles
Appearing in social media mentions, the Bujan-M missile ship is a unit measuring 246 feet in length, which is used to carry Kalibr-NK missiles. They have warheads weighing up to 992 lbs and can attack targets up to 1553 miles away. According to Russians, Project 22160 ships can also be equipped with such an arsenal, but no evidence of using such weapons has ever been shown.
At the start of the war, the Russians had only four Project 22160 vessels. If the Defence Express portal has made accurate observations, now they only have two left.
