Russian warships operating in the vicinity of Ukraine face significant risks, even while stationed at their piers or in drydocks. The volatile situation in the region and ongoing tensions have heightened the potential for security and safety concerns. It underscores the challenging and precarious environment for Russian naval assets in this area.
On Saturday, Ukrainian air force Sukhoi Su-24 bombers launched at least three cruise missiles—British-made Storm Shadows or French-made SCALPs—at the Russian Black Sea Fleet missile corvette Askold, pierside in Kerch on the eastern edge of Russian-occupied Crimea.
Imagery released by the Ukrainian government strongly indicates the missiles badly damaged the 220-foot Askold, one of the newest warships in the increasingly battered Black Sea Fleet.
“Confirmed,” Kyiv’s strategic communications directorate stated. “The Russian missile carrier Askold—the newest ship of the Karakurt project with ‘stealth’ technology—was damaged.”
“How was your weekend?” the Ukrainian air force quipped in a social-media post that includes a photo of a SCALP missile. Russian warships operating
Askold is just the most recent victim of Ukraine’s missile-armed bombers. A Ukrainian missile strike on the port of Sevastopol, in western Crimea, struck a submarine and a landing ship in their drydock on Sept. 13.
Over the course of 22 months of intense conflict against an adversary lacking major warships, the Black Sea Fleet has suffered significant losses. This includes the reported loss of at least one cruiser, three amphibious ships, a submarine, a supply ship, and several patrol boats and landing craft, with the most recent addition being the vessel Askold.
The remaining assets of the Black Sea Fleet, comprising a dozen or so surviving missile frigates, corvettes, and anti-submarine patrol boats, now bear the primary surface firepower responsibility. However, these vessels must exercise extreme caution to evade attacks from Ukrainian missiles, rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous boats, and sabotage operations.
Among these threats, Kyiv’s cruise missiles are considered particularly perilous. With a range of 155 miles and weighing 2,900 pounds, these missiles are equipped with tandem warheads that can cause catastrophic damage to warships. The city of Kerch, for instance, falls within the range of Storm Shadows and SCALP missiles, which could be launched from just inside Ukrainian territory in southern Ukraine, amplifying the danger to the Black Sea Fleet.