Satellite images hint at potential Russian plans to rebuild the destroyed Askold warship
The Ukrainians are steadily inflicting damage on the Black Sea Fleet. They have already targeted 12 Russian ships, managing to destroy eight of them. One of the targets that didn't manage to evade the Ukrainian barrage was the missile corvette Askold. It was brought down in November 2023. Substantial evidence suggested that it had been completely taken out of action. Could the Russians have decided otherwise?
Is Missile Corvette Askold slated for repair?
Moving the ship into a dry dock could signal that the Russian command has set its sights on reconstructing it. Satellite images confirm the ship's location in the dry dock, but they don't provide enough detail to clarify whether any work is in progress. This is further obscured by the Russians' attempts to conceal the damaged part of the ship using special structures.
Given the level of carnage displayed in the post-attack images, it isn't easy to believe that the refurbishment of this ship is viable. It's more plausible to assume that a comprehensive evaluation of the losses will be carried out to determine what parts endured and could be salvaged for potential use on other vessels.
The Askold is a 22800 Karakurt missile corvette. Ships of this kind are among the newest additions to the Russian army, having been in service since 2018.
Ukrainians deployed SCALP-EG
The Askold was obliterated using SCALP-EG manoeuvring missiles supplied to Ukraine by France. These weapons can hit targets up to roughly 500 kilometres (rounded) away. Each rocket of this type is approximately 5 metres (rounded) long and weighs around 1300 kilograms (rounded), with 450 kilograms (rounded) accounting for the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warhead.
These missiles are equipped with a sophisticated inertial and satellite navigation system. They are renowned for their high precision. Ben Wallace, former UK Minister of Defense, has previously praised this weapon, stating that it strikes Russian targets "almost flawlessly".
