The UK Defense Ministry reports that a Ukrainian strike on 19 May “almost certainly resulted in the sinking of the KARAKURT-Class Corvette ‘TSIKLON‘” in Sevastopol, one of just four such Russian Kalibr cruise missile-capable corvettes operating in the Black Sea since 2022, with two others have likely been moved to the Caspian Sea following previous Ukrainian strikes, while the fourth was heavily damaged last November.
With Ukraine’s Navy virtually non-existent, Ukraine employs missiles and the newly-created fleet of various maritime suicide drones to counter Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea. These tactics led to the destruction or severe damage to at least 17 vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, including the sinking of the Moskva, the Fleet’s flagship, early in the all-out war.
Ukraine destroys Tsyklon, Russia’s last surface Kalibr missile ship in occupied Crimea
The loss of the ‘Tsiklon’ deprives Russia of a key multi-purpose naval platform able to provide Kalibr missile strikes, air defense, and other frontline capabilities in the Black Sea theater. As Ukraine sustains pressure, Russia’s eroding maritime forces face an increasingly challenging security environment in their operations around Crimea, the Ministry wrote.
The British Defense Ministry wrote:
- On 19 May 2024, Ukrainian forces conducted a coordinated long-range attack on the Russian port of Sevastopol. The attack, which highly likely included a combination of one-way attack drones and Army Tactical missile system (ATACM) missiles almost certainly resulted in the sinking of the KARAKURT-Class Corvette ‘TSIKLON’.
- ‘TSIKLON’ is one of four Russian KALIBR-capable KARAKURT-Class vessels that have operated in the Black Sea since 2022. Two of these vessels have likely been transferred to the Caspian Sea to complete sea trials safely following a series of successful Ukrainian attacks. The fourth vessel of the group was previously heavily damaged in a Ukrainian attack in November 2023.
- Although this is unlikely to significantly change the impact the Russian Navy is having on Ukrainian operations, it does highlight a continued danger to Russian forces operating in the Crimea and Black Sea region and continued Ukrainian success when conducting coordinated strikes.
Read also:
- Ukraine destroys Tsyklon, Russia’s last surface Kalibr missile ship in occupied Crimea
- Ukraine may have sunk Russian ship with US ATACMS missiles
- Ukraine says it destroyed Russian Black Sea Fleet’s minesweeper Kovrovets
- UK intel: Russia improved naval infrastructure in Novorossiysk, where it relocated its ships from Sevastopol away from Ukraine’s strikes
