| | | Ukrainian Precision Strike Decimates Russian Corvette Tsiklon in the Black Sea (msn.com)
Story by Isaac Jones
• 12h •
In a striking demonstration of military effectiveness, Ukrainian forces have successfully sunk the Russian corvette Tsiklon, a Karakurt-class vessel capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles, in the port of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. This significant event highlights the continued tactical prowess of Ukrainian forces as they leverage advanced weaponry and strategic coordination to deal a formidable blow to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The Tsiklon was one of just four such corvettes operating in the Black Sea since 2022, with this attack signaling a notable reduction in Russia’s naval capabilities in the region. The strike on May 19, 2024, was a coordinated long-range attack which almost certainly resulted in the sinking of the KARAKURT-Class Corvette ‘TSIKLON’, according to UK Ministry of Defence Intelligence Update. This intelligence update underscores that the attack likely included a combination of one-way attack drones and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles.
The implications of this attack are far-reaching. The destruction of the Tsiklon diminishes a key naval asset that Russia could have utilized for missile strikes, air defense, and other frontline operations in the contested Black Sea theater. Although the full strategic impact on Russian naval operations remains to be assessed, the loss of such a significant vessel demonstrates the ongoing threats faced by Russian forces in Crimea and the Black Sea region.
Further complicating matters for the Russian navy is the logistical challenge of reinforcing the depleted Black Sea Fleet. Given Turkey’s control over the Bosporus Strait, Russia’s ability to send reinforcements from other regional fleets is severely hindered, making the construction or transfer of smaller vessels via river the only viable, albeit limited, option.
This recent Ukrainian success is underpinned by their adoption of long-range munitions, including the Neptune ground-launched cruise missiles and domestically produced aerial drones, enhanced by international assistance in the form of advanced missiles such as the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG from the UK and France, and several models of ATACMS rockets from the US. These contributions have evidently bolstered Ukraine’s anti-ship capabilities, as the strike that led to the sinking of the Sevastopol reportedly involved a barrage of M48s or M57s.
As the Black Sea Fleet’s defensive measures prove increasingly inadequate against such long-range precision attacks, Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, observed, “If ATACMS are taking out Russian warships in Sevastopol, hard to see the base having much utility left for the Russians.” This sentiment captures the diminishing utility of Sevastopol as a naval base, potentially forcing Russian commanders to consider withdrawing vessels to southern Russian ports. |
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