Ukrainian Sources Claim a Hit on a Russian Naval Auxiliary
Two Ukrainian officials have claimed that another Russian Navy ship has been hit in the Black Sea. Though the incident remains unconfirmed, the newly-delivered auxiliary Vsevolod Bobrov was reportedly struck by a Ukrainian attack and has caught fire.
"As a result of the actions of our Navy, the Vsevolod Bobrov logistics ship, one of the newest in the Russian fleet, set on fire. They say she is limping toward Sevastopol," said Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa Regional Military Administration. "[However] the information is yet to be clarified."
Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, made a similar claim in a social media post Thursday.
Last week, Ukrainian officials also claimed a hit on the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov, the most advanced remaining surface combatant in Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The report has not yet been confirmed, and Makarov has reportedly been spotted intact entering the port of Sebastopol.
Ukrainian coastal defense missile batteries successfully attacked and sank the Russian cruiser Moskva in April, according to U.S. officials. Ukraine's forces have also claimed responsibility for the destruction of a Russian tank landing ship at the port of Berdyansk in March. In addition to these confirmed attacks, the Ukrainian military has released video footage showing the destruction of five Raptor patrol boats and one Serna-class Russian landing craft near Snake Island. The strategically-located island was captured by Russian forces in the first days of the invasion, and in recent weeks, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian defenders and relief detachments on the exposed rock.
#Ukraine: More footage has come from the famous Snake Island - this time, as we believe, two more Russian Project 03160 "Raptor" patrol boats were hit by Ukrainian Bayraktar TB-2 drones. Both of them appear to be at least significantly damaged. pic.twitter.com/a5iWvyFqY8
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 8, 2022
Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 destroyed another Russian ship. This time the landing craft of the "Serna" project. The traditional parade of the russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island - at the bottom of the sea. pic.twitter.com/WYEPywmAwX
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 7, 2022
The Vsevolod Bobrov is a modern emergency response / fleet support ship built at USC's Severnaya Verf yard for the Russian Navy. She was just delivered last August. As an auxiliary, her main missions are logistics support, towing, SAR, hydrographic survey and subsea operations, including underwater search and rescue. She is fitted with twin knuckle-boom cranes and a DP system for stationkeeping.
The Bobrov is named for Soviet athlete Vsevolod Mikhailovich Bobrov, a successful football and ice hockey player in the USSR.