Warship Vasily Bykov reportedly damaged, possibly sunk

[sarisataka]

Report: Russian Patrol Ship Hit By Ukrainian Coastal Defenses

Ukraine's military claims to have hit a Russian patrol ship with a shore-based rocket attack, marking the first reported casualty for a Russian Navy vessel since the start of the invasion in February. The vessel has been tentatively identified as the Vasily Bykov, the lead ship of the lightly-armed Project 22160 class of patrol vessels, and the extent of the damage is unknown. 

Documented losses indicate that Ukrainian ground forces have destroyed or captured nearly 900 pieces of Russian military equipment since February 24, and analysts suggest that the true total may be substantially higher. The Ukrainian military's Centre for Defence Strategies claims that the number exceeds 2,000. However, the Russian Navy has been largely exempt from these heavy losses: with the exception of an amphibious landing near Mariupol, it has had a standoff role in the conflict and has been little affected. 

A video released Sunday by the Ukrainian military shows a volley of unguided multiple launch rockets (Grad MLRS) followed by a dim fire on the horizon and cheers from the defenders. The footage was taken at night, and the information about the attack is still preliminary, according to BlackSeaNews. If the reports are correct, the strike indicates a rare coastal defense application for a low-accuracy, Soviet-era Grad rocket launcher.

Russian warships have been loitering off the coast of Odesa since last week, and Ukrainian defense forces in the city have been on high alert for the possibility of an amphibious assault. As recently as Thursday, U.S. officials told Fox News that an amphibious landing was likely in or near Odesa.

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/report-russian-patrol-ship-hit-by-ukrainian-coastal-defenses

Some sources claim the ship later sank. The Vasily Bykov is the ship that was told at Snake Island to "go fuck yourself"

[ruet]

1. So Russia's Fleet Defense AA is Suspect as Well.

What an embarrassment.

[Sherman A1]

2. AA wouldn't have much of a chance to defend against a rocket attack

[ruet]

8. Fleet Defense AA is Designed to Defend Against ALL Threats.

Especially for a vessel as new as that one.

https://www.naval-technology.com/features/top-naval-air-defence-systems/

[Sherman A1]

9. My response doesn't change

AA isn’t all that good against rockets.

[malthaussen]

3. Not a particularly big ship, but a modern one.

That's a novel use of a MLRS, though.

-- Mal

[mitch96]

4. As long as you are not putting your people at risk and use and inexpensive weapon to

sink an expensive ship/boat.
A javelin has a range of 2 miles and a NLAW is about ½ mile.. So I guess the russians are gonna have their hands full when they try a beach landing.. Hell an "inexpensive" RPG-7 could ruin their day..
m

[malthaussen]

6. I've often wondered if an opposed amphibious landing is even possible these days.

LAWs and RPGs are ubiquitous, and landing craft inbound are sitting ducks unless there is serious artillery suppression of the defenders. It was hard enough if the defenders had a battery or two of coast artillery, but now every soldier is his own artillery battery. Not an operation I'd like to try.

-- Mal

[mitch96]

7. RPG's and LAWS would have been a horror show at Normandy. Like shooting fish in a barrel.nt

[yagotme]

5. Guess the Russians found out about the penalty...

for loitering.