The Black Sea Fleet of Russia has reportedly suffered a significant loss with the potential sinking of its last missile carrier, the Karakurt-class corvette Tsiklon, following a Ukrainian strike in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea. Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s navy, indicated that the Tsiklon’s loss would mark a notable depletion of Russia’s naval capabilities in the region, as he told Radio Svoboda, “There is a fairly high probability that there is now not a single carrier of cruise missiles in Crimea, if the information about the Cyclone is confirmed.”
The Tsiklon, which had only joined the Black Sea Fleet in July 2023 and had previously failed routine tests, was part of Russia’s efforts to display its operational readiness and expansion of its fleet. Pletenchuk added, “Preliminarily, we are talking about the fact that, most likely, in total two units were hit. But we are still waiting for results.”
The region, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, serves as a crucial logistics hub for Moscow’s forces in southern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s campaign against Russian naval assets has been ongoing, as Kyiv claims to have sunk or disabled a third of Russia’s warships in the Black Sea since the conflict began. These efforts are part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to undermine the annexation of Crimea. Satellite imagery suggests that in response to successful Ukrainian strikes, Russia has relocated some vessels from Crimea to Novorossiysk in southern Russia and the port city of Feodosia, in an effort to protect its fleet from further damage.
Russian sources, as well as Ukrainian military officials, have confirmed the strike that likely resulted in the sinking of the Tsiklon. Social media and open-source intelligence suggest that the ship disappeared from satellite imagery after the attack, bolstering claims of its destruction. While details remain to be fully verified, the potential elimination of the Tsiklon as a missile carrier would force a substantial reallocation of Russian naval power in the Black Sea.
The sinking of the Tsiklon, if confirmed, follows a series of successful Ukrainian strikes against Russian naval assets. Previous engagements saw the destruction of other key vessels such as the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the landing ship Saratov, the landing ships Tsesar Kunikov and Novocherkassk, and the damaging of the Kilo-class submarine Rostov-on-Don.
Relevant articles:
– Russia’s Black Sea Fleet ‘Likely’ Lost Its Last Missile Carrier in Crimea , Newsweek, 05/22/2024
– Ukraine says it may have destroyed Russia’s last cruise missile carrier based out of Crimea, Business Insider, 05/21/2024
– Ukraine says armed forces hit Russian cruise missile carrier in Crimea, Press TV, 05/21/2024
– Russian sources confirm Tsiklon Karakurt-class missile ship was sunk b, Army Recognition, 05/20/2024
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