The Russian Ministry of Defense released a video of the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs over the military port of Sevastopol in an intact state after intercepting a Ukrainian drone.
“The Black Sea Fleet reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs has completed the planned movement from the operational area to the permanent deployment base in Sevastopol,” announced the Russian Ministry of Defense on May 26. “The ship will replenish supplies at the base and continue its mission.”
Video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day shows the ship undamaged after the failed ambush of three unmanned Ukrainian speedboats in the Black Sea, at a position 140 km from the Bosphorus Strait.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted on May 25 a video of an unmanned boat rushing into the left stern of the reconnaissance vessel Ivan Khurs at high speed, calling it “a perfect match”. The signal was cut off when the boat was a few meters from the Ivan Khurs.
Russia publishes video of reconnaissance ships returning to port intact
Russia’s Ivan Khurs reconnaissance ship in the military port of Sevastopol, Crimea, on May 26. Video: Russian Defense Force
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the attack on the Ivan Khurs vessel took place on May 24, when the reconnaissance vessel was on patrol to protect the Turkstream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the Black Sea. The ship’s scout sailor, Ivan Khurs, used a 14.5 mm MTPU gun to destroy all three unmanned speedboats that tried to approach the ship.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet recently recorded several attacks by unmanned boats and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against warships and naval bases in Sevastopol, Crimea. Russia claims the attacks were unsuccessful when these unmanned vehicles were destroyed or caught in nets.
Russia accuses Ukraine of using unmanned boats and drones to attack infrastructure on the Crimean peninsula, but Ukraine has consistently denied involvement in such activity.
The Project 18280-class reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs has a displacement of 4,000 tons, can move at a maximum speed of 37 km/h and operate continuously for 45 days. The ship has a crew of 120 people, is equipped with 4 14.5 mm MTPU guns, 9K38 Igla and 9K333 Verba anti-aircraft missiles and Orlan-10 UAV.
The Ivan Khurs ship is capable of reconnaissance, signal intelligence data collection, electronic warfare, communications and fleet coordination. The Ivan Khurs ship can also detect and track missiles and support air defense operations.
Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti)
