Russia's wooden submarine decoy exposed by satellite images after Rostov-on-Don sinking.

According to information published by Defence UA on August 15, 2024, recent satellite images have revealed a surprising and unconvincing attempt by Russian forces to cover up the loss of their submarine Rostov-on-Don, which was reported sunk by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The images show a crude wooden replica of the submarine at the Black Sea Fleet base in the occupied port of Sevastopol.
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Russian naval shipyard. (Picture source: Ekrānuzņēmumus)

The mock-up, measuring only 56 meters in length, is significantly shorter than the actual Rostov-on-Don, which belonged to the Project 636.6 class with a length of 73.8 meters.

This disparity is glaringly apparent even in the satellite imagery, suggesting that the Russians did not put much effort into making the model realistic. The lack of detail is further highlighted by the fact that the model’s size does not even match the older Project 877 submarines, such as the Alrosa, which measures 72.6 meters.

In an additional effort to obscure the true fate of the Rostov-on-Don, Russian forces have reportedly covered the submarine's remains with a tarp at the 13th Ship Repair Plant in the Kilen-Bay area.

This was done after the submarine was moved from a dry dock in June 2024. The tarp partially conceals the damaged vessel, which sank after being struck by Ukrainian missiles.

Despite these attempts, the poor condition of the Rostov-on-Don suggests that it is unlikely to be repaired and returned to service. The extensive damage it sustained, combined with the time it took the Russians to address previous damage from a September 2023 attack, underscores the improbability of any successful restoration.

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The Russian Navy has suffered several notable losses during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. One of the most significant early losses was the Moskva, a Slava-class cruiser and the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. In April 2022, it was struck by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles, leading to its sinking.

In addition to the Moskva, several other vessels have been lost or severely damaged. For example, in March 2022, an Alligator-class landing ship was destroyed in the port of Berdyansk by a Ukrainian missile, causing a massive explosion that also damaged nearby vessels. More recently, in September 2023, a Ukrainian strike on the port of Sevastopol destroyed the landing ship Minsk.

Ukrainian forces have also targeted smaller vessels using drones, such as the attacks near Snake Island that resulted in the destruction of Raptor-class patrol boats and the damage to the patrol ship Sergey Kotov.