On the night of December 26, in the occupied Feodosia (Crimea), a large Russian landing ship, the Novocherkassk, was destroyed. The Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykola Oleshchuk, confirmed the impact of the cruise missiles, and footage of a powerful explosion on board was captured and circulated on social media.
RBC-Ukraine compiled everything known about the destruction of the Novocherkassk in Feodosia in the material below.
During the preparation of the material, statements from the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk, the spokesperson of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat, the head of the United Coordinating Press Center of Security and Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine Natalia Humeniuk, Telegram channel Crimean Wind, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and the specialized agency Defense Express were used.
What is known about the Novocherkassk: Characteristics
The large Russian landing ship Novocherkassk directly belonged to the composition of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, as the Russian occupiers in the Black Sea had landing ships from the Baltic and Northern fleets.
This ship of Project 775 was built in Poland during the Soviet era and commissioned in 1987. Moreover, from 1990 to 2007, the Novocherkassk was in conservation. Only after that was it brought into the active composition of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation.
It is also known that this ship had standard characteristics for Project 775 BDK, namely:
full displacement - 4080 tons; length of the hull - 112.5 meters; width - 15 meters; crew + landing and cargo capacity - 87 people + up to 300 people, up to 460 tons of cargo.
As spokesperson for the Defense Forces of the South Natalia Humeniuk explained, the specifics of large landing ships lie in the fact that they are practically constantly used by the enemy as logistical objects, transporting important cargo. Since they cannot afford alternative routes due to danger. For example, the Crimean Bridge.
"Remember that they have difficulties using the notorious Kerch Bridge and other transport and logistics routes. Therefore, it is quite possible that this was such a Christmas present. Fully packed," Humeniuk said in a TV marathon.
How and where the ship was struck
On the night of December 25, the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykola Oleshchuk, announced the destruction of the large landing ship Novocherkassk, located in Feodosia.
He wrote in his Telegram channel that the Russian fleet is shrinking.
"This time, following the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation - the cruiser Moskva, the large landing ship Novocherkassk is heading straight for us. Thanks to the pilots of the Air Forces and all those involved for the precision work!" Oleshchuk wrote.
Attached to his post is a video capturing a strong explosion and fire in the port of Feodosia.
Later, in the press service of the Air Forces, it was added that the attack occurred around 02:30 on December 26.
"Tactical aviation of the Air Forces attacked with cruise missiles a large landing ship Novocherkassk of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the area of Feodosia. The result is 'on the face,'" the military wrote.
It is worth noting that Russia did not react to the event throughout the night. Only in the morning did the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledge that the landing ship Novocherkassk was affected. However, they claimed it only "suffered damage," which is not evident from the images circulating on the network.
To downplay the loss of the ship, the Russian military invented that Ukrainian planes, specifically two Su-24 fighters, were "shot down."
Not the first attack on the Novocherkassk
What is also interesting is that today was far from the first "visit" to this enemy landing ship during the full-scale invasion.
The first strike occurred on March 24 of last year. At that time, the missile forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck Russian ships in the waters near Berdyansk.
However, the Novocherkassk suffered relatively minor damage, allowing it to leave the harbor and come for repairs to temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
What does Shaheds have to do with it?
The explosion resulting from the attack on the ship was so powerful that unofficial versions began to circulate, suggesting that Novocherkassk could have been transporting Shahed drones.
However, the Ukrainian military portal Defense Express draws attention to one detail: if the occupiers could use this ship to transport kamikaze drones, it would only be possible directly from the territory of the Russian Federation, "in ferry mode."
They explain that if the occupiers wanted to bring Shaheds directly from Iran, the Russian Novocherkassk could not do it because Turkey does not allow military ships from either side of the conflict through the straits.
The version involving Shaheds was already requested to be commented on during a telethon by the spokesperson for the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat. He neither confirmed nor denied this information and noted that whoever owns it should disclose it.
At the same time, he agreed that judging by the shocking footage, it could be concluded that the ship likely carried a powerful arsenal. He also added that it was an operation planned by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies.
"The work done is colossal. The large landing ship is destroyed. It replenished the fleet that the cruiser Moskva now leads," Ihnat added.
Current situation around the site of the ship's impact
According to information from local Telegram channels, five hours after the start of the fire in Feodosia, it is still ongoing, visible from the embankment.
It is also reported that windows in all buildings closest to the port were blown out due to the explosion.
In addition, more than 350 people have been evacuated from the buildings closest to the port in Feodosia.
The local occupation authorities also claim one fatality. However, they traditionally remain silent about possible losses among the ship's personnel.
