Russian patrol ship reportedly attacked by Ukrainian naval drones near Sevastopol

Ukraine’s Security Service and Naval Forces attacked the Pavel Derzhavin patrol ship, part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, report Ukrainian outlets Hromadske and Ukrainska Pravda.

According to the outlets’ sources, the ship was attacked on October 11 near Sevastopol, sustaining damage. Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said that the ship left the location of the incident after sustaining damage for a second time.

Ukraine’s Security Service also say they attacked the Buyan Russian missile carrier. According to Hromadske’s sources, both vessels were attacked by Sea Baby drones with “experimental weapons.”

The Russian pro-war Telegram channel Rybar, which is close to Russia’s Defense Ministry, confirmed the attack on the Pavel Derzhavin vessel, though they claim that the attack occurred on October 13. It’s not clear if the channel is referring to the same attack as is Ukraine’s Security Service. According to Rybar, Ukrainian formations attacked the ship as it was leaving Sevastopol Bay and the ship sustained damage to its propeller-rudder. A tugboat which was sent to assist the ship was also reportedly attacked.

“In this situation, it’s curious that the blast’s epicenter was underwater. This might indicate the use of fully submersible unmanned boats for the attack,” read the post on Rybar.

On the morning of October 13, the governor of annexed Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev said that loud sounds near Sevastopol Bay were related to anti-submarine and sabotage support unit training.

Previously, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said that the Pavel Derzhavin ship was damaged in the Black Sea on October 11. The Crimean Wind Telegram channel said that an explosion occurred in the area where the ship was located on October 11.