Russian missile warship heavily damaged after Ukraine attack

The frigate Askold, anchored at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch, was hit by a Ukrainian missile on November 4. (Source: The Drive)

On November 7, the Drive newspaper cited images on social networking sites showing a Russian naval warship severely damaged after a cruise missile attack by Ukraine on November 4.

The ship in the video was identified as the Project 22800 Karakurt-class missile frigate Askold. The superstructure of Askold was severely damaged in the attack, including its radar system. At the time of the attack, Askold was moored at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch, Crimea.

It is not yet clear if there were any casualties as the Askold has not yet been commissioned by the Russian navy.

The frigate Askold's superstructure was severely damaged in the attack. (Photo: The Drive)

Also according to Drive, the missile frigate Askold is the latest version of the Karakurt class with a stealthy hull design and can carry 8 Kalibr cruise missiles. The damage to Askold is difficult to repair and reuse even though the hull did not suffer much damage.

In a statement about the attack on the Zaliv factory on the social network X (Twitter), the Ukrainian Air Force posted a picture of a Su-24 fighter bomber carrying a SCALP-EG cruise missile donated by France to allude to the role of SCALP-EG in the attack.

This is also consistent with the range of Ukrainian missiles that can strike the port city of Kerch, which is located more than 250km from the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, the attack range of SCALP-EG and Storm Shadow cruise missiles currently used by the Ukrainian Air Force is up to more than 300km.

Earlier, on November 5, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola O Meatchuk wrote on Telegram that a modern Russian naval warship was present at the Zalyv plant when the attack occurred. This ship can carry Kalibr cruise missiles.

On the Russian side, in the first statements of Mr. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said there were no casualties in the attack on the shipyard in Kerch.

However, the Russian Ministry of Defense later announced that one of its warships had been damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile.

Russian missile warship heavily damaged after Ukraine attack - 2

Russian missile warship heavily damaged after Ukraine attack - 3

Satellite images of the Zaliv shipyard on November 5, a day after the attack, show damage to the frigate Askold.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that its air defense forces shot down 13 of the 15 cruise missiles that attacked the Zalyv shipyard. Only one missile hit a warship anchored at Zalyv.

Ukraine has recently launched several attacks using missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and suicide boats against Russian targets on or around the Crimean peninsula.

On October 30, Russian air defenses shot down all eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles that Ukraine launched at Crimea. Three days later, Russian forces shot down six Ukrainian UAVs approaching the peninsula.

Ukraine on September 22 launched a missile attack on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula. Russian officials said the attack damaged the building housing the Black Sea Fleet headquarters.

Ukrainian cruise missiles also severely damaged the Russian Ropucha-class landing ship Minsk and Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don in an attack last September.

Tra Khanh (Source: The Drive)

Source