On Tuesday 26th March, 2024 Ukraine has claimed yet another successful strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF), that another Ropucha Class landing ship KONSTANTIN OLSHANSKY had been hit by a Neptune R-360 anti-ship missile.
The inactive Ropucha class landing ship was captured from Ukraine during Russia’s unlawful annexation of Crimea in 2014 by the Russian Forces. She was built in 1985 and was transferred to the Ukrainian Navy in 1996 when the naval fleet of the Soviet Union was divided up.
Speaking on national TV, Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said damage to the vessel was still being determined. “This ship was supposed to be used by Ukraine, therefore, a decision was made to destroy this unit with our Neptune,” Pletenchuk told national television.
The attack in the late hours of March 23 also hit some Black Sea Fleet infrastructure in Crimea and a Russian military communication center, the Ukrainian military said on March 24.
The Strategic Communications Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (StratCom) recently reported that as of early February 2024, 33% of the fleet’s warships had been disabled, including 24 ships and one submarine. Russia has taken a number of steps to address the continuing threat, including replacing the commander of the Russian Navy earlier this month.
The fourth victim is the Yury Ivanov Class intelligence ship RFS IVAN KHURS that 10 months ago survived an attack by Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels (USV).
All images of the Ropucha Class landing Ship KONSTANTIN OLSHANSKY (at this time in Ukrainian Colours) goes back to April, 2011 where she called at Grand Harbour, Malta for a 24 hour call with evacuees during the Libyan Uprising.
