Ukraine’s military confirms the destruction of Russia’s newest missile carrier ship, the Tsiklon, in a strike on the occupied Crimean peninsula on May 19. The successful attack targeted the Tsiklon, a Karakurt-class corvette, while it was docked in Sevastopol, not the Kovrovets minesweeper as previously reported.
Facing a nearly non-existent Navy, Ukraine has resorted to deploying missiles and a newly-formed fleet of various maritime suicide drones to challenge Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea. These strategies have resulted in the sinking or severe damage of at least 17 vessels from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, including the flagship Moskva, early in the ongoing conflict.
The initial breakthrough for Ukraine came on April 14, 2022, when Ukrainian forces sank the Moskva, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet flagship, with Neptune missiles. The loss of the Moskva was historic, marking the first time a Russian flagship had been sunk by an enemy since the Russo-Japanese War in the early 1900s.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, highlighted the significant impacts of these strikes. “I can say that the Black Sea fleet operations have been greatly complicated, if not paralyzed,” he asserted.
Ukraine has continued its aggressive stance, leading to the destruction of various other key vessels in Russia’s fleet. On June 17, 2022, the Vasily Bekh, a Russian rescue tugboat, was struck by two Harpoon anti-ship missiles, marking the first time that Ukraine hit a Russian vessel with Western-supplied weapons. This was followed by a series of attacks employing both maritime drones and long-range missiles.
On August 4, 2023, a Ukrainian sea drone armed with explosives damaged the Ropucha-class tank landing ship Olenegorskiy Gornyak, demonstrating Ukraine’s evolving capabilities to strike targets beyond missile range.
In a notable escalation, on September 13, 2023, Ukraine targeted the Sevmorzadov shipyard in Crimea, destroying the Ropucha-class landing vessel Minsk and severely damaging the Kilo-class submarine Rostov-on-Don. The UK Ministry of Defense noted that any efforts to return the submarine to service would likely take “many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.”
One of the most recent and significant blows came on May 19, 2024, when Ukraine destroyed the Tsiklon, Russia’s last cruise missile carrier based in Crimea. “The Tsiklon was Russia’s ‘last cruise missile carrier’ based on the peninsula,” said Pletenchuk. The destruction of this Karakurt-class corvette, a vessel capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles, underscored the effective use of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities.
This attack followed a pattern of successful operations, including the sinking of the Ivan Khurs on March 24, 2024. Pletenchuk confirmed, “As for the Ivan Khurs ship, we can confirm the damage to the reconnaissance equipment,” indicating that the ship was no longer combat-ready.
The cumulative damage inflicted by Ukraine’s attacks has forced Russia to relocate much of its Black Sea Fleet to safer locations on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. This strategic shift has had broader implications for Russia’s naval operations and its capacity to conduct missile strikes on Ukrainian territories from the sea.
In a public statement, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Pletenchuk remarked, “Of five warships from Russia’s project 22800, two had been destroyed, two had been returned to the Caspian Sea, and one was currently at a shipyard,” indicating the severe depletion of Russian naval assets.
Beyond military implications, Ukraine’s aggressive campaign has enabled the resumption of grain shipments through the Black Sea, vital for its economy. The attacks have also galvanized Ukraine’s naval strategy, allowing it to seize the initiative in the maritime domain despite lacking a conventional navy.
Relevant articles:
– These are vessels in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet that Ukraine took out , Business Insider, 05/23/2024
– Ukraine destroys Tsyklon, Russia’s last surface Kalibr missile ship in occupied Crimea, Euromaidan Press, 05/21/2024
– Ukraine says it destroys Russian missile ship in Crimea, Goulburn Post, 05/21/2024
– Ukraine says it destroys Russian missile ship in Crimea strike, Yahoo News UK, 05/20/2024
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