Ukraine strikes back: Neptune missile hits Russian "Konstantin Olshansky
The string of bad luck for the Black Sea Fleet continues. The spokesperson of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lt. Dmytro Pletenczuk, confirmed that during the attacks from March 23 to March 24, the Ukrainians struck the large landing ship of project 775 "Konstantin Olshansky." Interestingly, this unit was owned by Ukraine until 2014.
More details of the attack carried out overnight from March 23 to March 24 are emerging, targeting Russian military facilities in Crimea. Initially, the Ukrainians reported that Storm Shadow missiles hit and damaged two large Russian landing ships - "Jamal" and "Azov".
Black Sea fleet loses ships
On March 26, the spokesperson of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lt. Dmytro Pletenczuk, on the "Freedom" television channel, conveyed that more Russian ships were affected by the attack. According to him, on that day, the large landing ship of project 775 "Konstantin Olshansky" was also hit by a Neptune missile. The extent of its damages is not yet known.
"For 9 years, it was stationed in Sevastopol Bay, was dismantled into parts – simply stolen. And in the 10th year of the war, the Russians realized that the large landing ships of project 775 were running out and decided to restore them. Restoration work was carried out over the year... Unfortunately, this ship was to be used against Ukraine," explained Pletenczuk's decision to attack. It is worth reminding that "Konstantin Olshansky" was previously a unit belonging to Ukraine before the Russians took it over after the occupation of Crimea in 2014.
RK-360 Neptune - the scourge of the Russian fleet
The RK-360 Neptune is a very successful Ukrainian weapon. It has already helped the Ukrainians in the attack on the largest ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, namely the missile cruiser "Moscow". It was developed after the occupation of Crimea by the Russians, when Ukraine lost most of its ships and anti-ship systems. The work on this maneuvering missile was carried out by the Kiev design office Luch. The main task of the Neptune missiles is to destroy large warships, including aircraft carriers and landing ships.
The Ukrainians designed them, however, as a universal weapon, especially since the missiles can be launched from ground launchers, ship decks, or aerial platforms. The missile itself weighs about 870 kilogrammes (the warhead itself weighs about 150 kilogrammes), and its range is estimated at about 280 kilometres. Neptune can move at speeds reaching up to 900 km/h, and additionally. The Ukrainians note its resistance to radio interference, as well as the ability to maneuver to avoid missile defense.
