Ukraine paralyzes Russian reconnaissance in the Black Sea

The Ukrainian army once again proved that effective and precise force projection is possible at sea. According to the Chief Intelligence Board of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, a special unit of the Special Operations Force, on September 10 conducted a successful attack using an unmanned system. The target was a Russian ship operating in the Bay of New Russia – a key backdrop of the Black Sea Fleet.

New quality in Ukrainian Black Sea tactics

According to the Ukrainian side, the purpose of the operation was a Russian multitasking auxiliary vessel (rescue and towing) project MPSV07. At the time of impact, the ship was located in the area of the New Russian Gulf, more than 400 km from the front line. If system Unmanned bypassed Crimea, his route could have been up to 600 km.

As you can see on the released video, the unmanned system hit the superstructure and antenna mast by eliminating the reconnaissance apparatus. The images were taken from the air, which may suggest the use of an air system, but official messages do not specify the type of effector used.

Black Sea Fleet in Defence

Following a series of severe losses committed by the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the first two years of full-scale war, some valuable units were transferred from occupied Crimea to the base in Noworosyjsk. The goal was to get the ships out of range. Ukrainian means of destruction.

However, this seemingly safe bastion was affected by subsequent Ukrainian strikes. In recent weeks, the Ukrainian side has reported the damage to the tugboat in Sevastopol Bay and the hit of a small missile ship project 21631 Bujan-M in the Azov Sea. In parallel, attacks on elements of reconnaissance and radio-location infrastructure in Crimea have been reported.

The Russian ship of Project MPSV07?

MPSV07 design units are multi-purpose rescue and towing ships. In recent months, some of them have served as radio-electronic recognition platforms. They were prepared for underwater work and bottom inspection using diving systems, ROV and sonars – functionally similar to the future rescue ship p.k. Lifeguard. They are 73 m long, 16.6 m wide, full displacement approx. 3630 t, load capacity approx. 1100–1170 t, and autonomy 20 days.

The equipment of these units allows for diving activities up to 300 m and bottom testing up to 1000 m. In the Black Sea Russia currently has five units of this type in service, the sixth is currently under construction. Loss of one of them – even temporary – reduces the continuity of listening in the New Russian Region, because the impact on the mast and superstructure of this ship quickly shut down the reconnaissance apparatus, which undoubtedly reduced the effectiveness of detection and guidance on approaches to Russian bases.

The front of the hybrid war in the Black Sea

The impact on the radio-electronic reconnaissance ship was not accidental. This is a clear signal – both to Moscow and the West – that Ukraine does not intend to allow Russia to operate freely even in the depths of the Black Sea. Moreover, rUnmanned technology scroll and their effective use in offensive activities demonstrate the degree of maturity of Ukrainian asymmetric capabilities.

According to some military analysts, Ukraine could eliminate or damage even a third of the active Black Sea Fleet units. Importantly, it happened without the use of its own warships – in just three years of conflict, which is a difficult to overestimate.

Will Russia give up the Black Sea?

It cannot be excluded that attacks of this type will force a further phase of the withdrawal of Russian ships to further ports or even a complete reduction of fleet operations in the southern direction. In such a situation Ukraine – deprived of full size Navy – effectively transfers the operating burden to new means of combat: unmanned systems, long-range weapons and special operations carried out in the depths of the territory controlled by the opponent.

Whether it likes it or not, unmanned systems have become one of the key tools of force projection in the marine, land and air environment today. A country which does not have effective measures to address such threats remains vulnerable, either. Both the reported incident in the Black Sea and yesterday's intrusion of unmanned workers from Belarus into the Polish airspace show that the era of asymmetric means of destruction is already taking place – and it does not give the states time to wait.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz