Ukraine asserts that it has hit and sunk a Russian Kilo-class submarine. Interestingly, this appears to be the same Kilo-class submarine that Ukraine stuck last year, and Russian media recently claimed that it was getting ready for action again.
On August 3, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted on X (previously Twitter): “Ukrainian defense forces successfully attacked the B-237 “Rostov-on-Don” attack submarine in Sevastopol’s port. As a result of the attack, the submarine sank.”
The Ukrainian military claimed that a Russian submarine was struck when it was stationed at the Sevastopol port on the Crimean Peninsula in a major operation that also destroyed several S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.
“The Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine Rostov-on-Don was successfully struck in the port of Sevastopol. Following the strike, the submarine sank on the spot,” wrote Ukraine’s General Staff in a Facebook post.
The Rostov-on-Don is an improved Kilo-class submarine that can launch Kalibr land attack cruise missiles. It was one of four in the Black Sea Fleet and went into service in 2014.
You have to admire #Ukraine. Last Sept in occupied #Crimea they struck the Rostov-on-Don submarine, while it and a large Russian landing ship were in dry dock. Badly damaged, Russia's spent almost a year repairing the sub, only for Ukraine to sink it this month. https://t.co/6cfRwtJ9pP pic.twitter.com/8WIgzZioWZ
— Glasnost Gone (@GlasnostGone) August 5, 2024
Some war-tracking accounts on X claimed that the submarine was struck by an ATACMS missile. Additionally, the Atesh military partisan group reported on August 5 that some unknown Russian officials allegedly visited the Sevastopol coast for inspection after the sinking of the submarine.
The purpose of the visit was to identify those behind the submarine’s devastation and investigate ways to prevent similar attacks in the future.
EurAsian Times was unable to independently verify the recent Ukrainian claims, which have also appeared in international media, but the satellite imagery published subsequently showed a damaged floating installation at Sevastopol’s port.
🇺🇦🇷🇺⚡️-
High-quality satellite images of the bay in Sevastopol, where, according to the General Staff, the Rostov-on-Don submarine was sunk
The boat was being repaired at the dock – it flew there. Its stern as seen from the dock can be seen in the second picture. https://t.co/tKj7FY4K6d pic.twitter.com/c70tabuVta
— Millitary Nerd (@MilitaryNerdd) August 3, 2024
However, if these claims are accurate, it would mark the second occasion that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have successfully targeted the Rostov-on-Don submarine.
Rostov-on-Don Has Finally Been Sunk?
On September 13 last year, Ukraine’s missile attack on a Russian naval facility in Crimea damaged two Russian warships, including the Rostov-on-Don. In the aftermath of the attack, Ukraine’s forces acknowledged that the attack was carried out using the long-range Storm Shadow missile.
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As the visuals of the damage began to surface on social media, analysts suggested that the submarine was possibly damaged beyond repair.
Several military analysts surmised that the submarine was highly likely to be completely written off because it was damaged beyond repair. Some anticipated that in the best-case scenario, it would be fixed, using salvageable parts requiring years for decommissioning.
Additionally, some others pointed out that even if the submarine was restored, it was expected to remain out of service for several months.
However, in July this year, citing sources in the military-industrial complex, Russian news agency TASS reported that the submarine “Rostov-on-Don” of project 636.3 of the Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea Fleet) had completed dock repairs. “Some time ago, the submarine successfully left the dock, its repair continues afloat,” the source was quoted as saying.
Open-source analyst H.I. Sutton stated on social media that after suffering the catastrophic strike in September, the Russian submarine was moved to a separate berth, where it allegedly remained vulnerable to a potential Ukraine attack. A previous report by him stated that the damaged vessel had been moved to a lesser-used dry dock within the port and covered in camouflage nets.
If the Ukrainian claims are to be believed, this could be the final farewell for the Russian Kilo-class submarine that survived a Storm Shadow strike less than a year ago. Moreover, it is a massive shock and setback as the submarine apparently sank after undergoing repairs and as it was gearing to make a comeback.
***UPDATE***
The #Russia navy Improved- KILO class submarine Rustov-on-Don, is gone. Again.
The boat was hit by Storm Shadow last year. Since the. It was moved to a separate berth where it remained vulnerable to a follow up attack. As happened this morning,
Contrary to some… pic.twitter.com/p8CuGsFuqf
— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) August 3, 2024
The submarine was reportedly worth $300 million and just one of four submarines operated by Russia’s Black Sea fleet capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian military said the vessel “was repaired and tested in the water” of Sevastopol harbor. It added that the destruction of ‘Rostov-on-Don’ once again proves that there is no safe place for the Russian fleet in the Ukrainian territorial waters of the Black Sea.
The Crimean port of Sevastopol has been the target of several missile attacks by Ukrainian forces because it supports Russia’s Black Sea fleet, which is based there. In recent days, Ukraine has visibly intensified its attacks on Russia.
The recent attack on Crimea also validates the previous claims made by Ukraine about the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In early July, Ukraine’s navy chief said that Kyiv’s attacks had caused the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet to rebase almost all of its combat-ready warships from occupied Crimea to other sites, and its main naval center was fast becoming ineffective.
Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa stated that the Sevastopol base, which serves as a logistics hub for Russia’s training, repairs, maintenance, and munitions storage, had suffered significant damage as a result of Ukrainian missile and naval drone strikes. “They were established over many decades, possibly centuries. And clearly, they are now losing this hub,” Neizhpapa told Reuters in an interview.
Ukraine claims to have destroyed or severely damaged at least 15 warships, including the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, since Russia launched the invasion more than two years ago.
Nonetheless, with the incident involving the Rostov-on-Don, Russia might have experienced its first-ever submarine loss to Ukraine, marking its most significant naval loss to date.
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