Ukraine appears to have sunk Russian Ropucha class landing ship Olenegorski Gornjak.

According to information published by the Russian MoD on August 4, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that two naval drones attacked a naval base in Novorossiysk overnight.
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Russian Ropucha class landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak. (Picture source: kchf.ru)

Two unmanned naval drones were implicated in the incident, which was thwarted by vigilant Russian ships securing the base's outer perimeters. The drones were spotted and subsequently neutralized, ensuring the safety of the base.

During the attack, local Russian media reported that the landing ship, "Olenegorsky Gornyak", suffered damage. Russian authorities, however, have yet to officially confirm these reports.

In the wake of the incident, Ukrainian security services acknowledged their involvement. An unidentified insider revealed that both the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy orchestrated the operation.

Video evidence supplied to the media depicted a drone laden with 450 kg of explosives attacking a Russian ship. This source suggested that the "Olenegorsky Gornyak" sustained considerable damage, significantly hampering its combat capabilities. This account directly contrasts with Russia's assertion that they successfully repelled the attack.

While the naval base bore the brunt of the attack, the nearby Caspian Pipeline Consortium, operating in the port of Novorossiysk, reported no impact on their infrastructure.

Consequently, oil shipments to docked tankers continued uninterrupted. Nevertheless, a temporary halt on all vessel movements in the Novorossiysk port was enforced as a precautionary measure.

This recent assault echoes a landmark event from the previous year. On April 14, 2022, the Russian warship Moskva, a flagship of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, tragically sunk during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials credited their forces with the ship's demise, claiming that two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles triggered a fire onboard. The United States Department of Defense later validated this assertion.

The loss of the Moskva represented a significant blow to the Russian navy. It was the largest Russian warship to sink during wartime since the end of World War II and the first Russian flagship to meet such a fate since the Knyaz Suvorov in 1905, amidst the Russo-Japanese War.

In the aftermath of the Moskva incident, Russia announced that it had managed to evacuate 396 crew members, losing one sailor and reporting 27 missing.

However, additional unconfirmed reports suggested a higher casualty count. A Sevastopol court later declared at least 17 of the missing crew members dead.

Ropucha class landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak being pulled by a tug boat. (Picture source: Telegram)