Ukrainian Drones Sink Russia's Modern Naval Ship Near Kerch Strait
Russians lost one of their Project 22160 "Vasily Bykov" ships, sunk by Mangura V5 marine drones. Let’s explore the capabilities of the drones and the fate of the sunk ship "Sergey Kotov".
In the early hours of March 5, 2023, a team of 13 from Ukrainian intelligence pulled off a successful attack on the patrol ship "Sergey Kotov", which belongs to the modern fleet of Russia's Project 22160 "Vasily Bykov" ships.
The operation took place near the Kerch Strait using Mangura V5 drones, leading to the Russian vessel, priced at £52 million, launched into service on May 16, 2022, meeting the same destiny as the missile cruiser "Moskva".
"Sergey Kotov" - a modern Russian ship barely a year old
The "Sergey Kotov" was the newest of the Project 22160 "Vasily Bykov" class vessels. This class was named after its first ship, introduced in 2018. Russia has utilized these ships for various missions, including blocking civilian vessels from accessing Ukrainian ports.
The Project 22160 ships have a displacement of about 2150 tonnes, stretching over 90 metres in length, equipped with a formidable armament array. Their arsenal includes a 76.2 mm AK-176MA-01 cannon, a 9K38 Igla anti-aircraft missile launcher, two machine guns, and a grenade launcher. There's also a possibility they can carry Kalibr-NK vertical launch cruise missiles. Additionally, Tor-M2KM air defense systems can be found on the helicopter deck.
Despite its heavy armament, the "Sergey Kotov" was brought down by the Ukrainians using Mangura V5 marine drones, indicating a significant gap in situational awareness.
Mangura V5 drones - a formidable threat to Russian vessels
With no significant naval force, Ukrainians have turned to marine drones to challenge Russian dominance at sea, already claiming victims like the Project 775 landing ship "Olenegorskiy Miner".
The Mangura V5 drones, evolutions of the "Sea Baby" designs, are essentially modified motorboats, 5.5 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, propelled by a water jet, achieving speeds of up to 42 knots. SpetsTechnoExport revealed these drones are armed with roughly 300 kg of explosives, resembling FAB bombs, and have a fuel capacity extending their range to over 800 kilometres.
They feature an encrypted communication system, satellite-based navigation, Starlink terminals, and an observation head equipped with daytime and thermal vision cameras mounted on a mast. Control over the drones is maintained through AR goggles, offering a first-person view, akin to FPV drones, providing operators with an immersive experience.
