Ukraine strikes Russian landing ship Novocherkassk in Crimea, suspected transporter of Shahed drones
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The Ukrainian Air Force reported a successful strike and destruction of the Russian ship Novocherkassk in the occupied city of Feodosia, Crimea, on the night of Dec. 26.
NV follows up with the background of the Russian landing ship.
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The Novocherkassk is a large landing ship designed for assault landings and cargo transportation. A “Project 775” class, constructed during Soviet times in Poland, it is classified by NATO as a Ropucha-class vessel.
The Novocherkassk was launched by the Russians on Nov. 30, 1987. After three years, it was added to the reserve fleet and brought back into service in 2007, becoming part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Capable of transporting 480 tons of cargo, including various types of armored vehicles, including tanks, the ship has a crew of nearly 100.
“Following the Cruiser Moscow”
Powerful explosions echoed in occupied Crimea in the night preceding Dec. 26. Local Telegram channels shared videos of strikes and fires in the vicinity of Feodosia port. Later, one of these appeared on the page of Ukraine’s Air Forces Commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, who reported on the “meticulous work of Ukrainian pilots.”
“The Russian fleet is shrinking! This time, following the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet — the cruiser Moscow, a large landing ship, Novocherkassk, is going down. Put on your pants and ‘go home’ from our Crimea while it’s not too late!” Oleshchuk said.
Military officials stated that the ship was destroyed by cruise missiles, without specifying their type. Previously, Western Storm Shadow missiles had targeted Crimea.
OSINT researcher Tatarigami_UA stated that he had analyzed the explosion video. He compared frames with satellite images from Dec. 24, stating that they confirmed the presence of a Ropucha-class landing ship in the port.
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Russia has since acknowledged the attack. Kremlin puppet Sergey Aksyonov stated around 03:15 a.m. that the fire in the port was “localized,” and the “detonation has stopped.” According to him, one person died, and two were injured as a result of the strike on Feodosia.
Russian Ministry of Defense reported “damage” to Novocherkassk and fabricated “destruction of two Ukrainian Su-24s launching missiles.”
Carrier of Shahed drones?
After the attack, the Air Forces claimed that the damaged Russian ship could have been transporting Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones,.
If the Russians used Novocherkassk to transport drones, it might only be used “as a ferry,” according to Defense Express. Journalists noted, since the vessel couldn’t bring Shaheds directly from Iran, as Turkey does not allow military ships through its straits.
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