Ukraine Damages Its Own Warship Stolen by Russia 10 Years After It Was Seized in Crimean Invasion

Russia seized it from Ukraine 10 years ago. Now Ukraine has made it a target for attack.

Knewz.com has learned more details about a strike against the “Black Sea Fleet” that caused serious damage for the Russian Navy.

Ukraine may have modified its Neptune missiles to be more effective. By: East2West

“Justice has been restored,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported on social media Tuesday, March 26 about one particular ship.

A homemade Neptune missile reportedly hit the Konstantin Olshansky, a landing ship that belonged to Ukraine until Russia took over Crimea in March 2014.

The Ukrainian version of Pravda noted it was in Lake Donuzlav in western Crimea at the time.

Lake Donuzlav is one of the deepest lakes in Crimea. By: MEGA

A spokesman for Ukraine’s navy quoted by Business Insider said Russia stripped the ship for parts for years, but then decided to restore it for combat while disguising it as a different warship.

“It is not combat-ready now,” Dmytro Pletenchuk said. “It was definitely damaged.”

It “is unlikely to have a chance of being operated by the occupiers,” military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko told the Charter 97 website. But no photos have surfaced showing the extent of damage.

The Kyiv Independent reported that the Konstantin Olshansky originally was part of the old Soviet Navy. It was built in 1985, then given to Ukraine in a 1996 dividing of USSR ships.

Wikipedia notes the Konstantin Olshansky is named after a Soviet marine who died during World War II.

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the attack over the weekend of March 23-24 hit the Ivan Khurs spy ship. Knewz.com had mentioned the damage based on Telegram reports.

The barrage indicates Ukraine has improved its capability for using Neptunes.

According to the Ukrainian News Agency website, the government officially has described Neptunes as having a range of about 174 miles. But now, the missiles are named “R-360s,” as in 360 kilometers or 223 miles.

Neptunes are made to hit moving targets, as they have radar in their noses. But the Konstantin Olshansky sat in a bay, surrounded by air defense systems.

A sea-level view of the Sevastopol harbor. By: Telegram/Kyiv Post

That’s significant because multiple missiles hit numerous targets in Sevastopol, instead of all of them focusing on one warship.

The attack on Sevastopol also left damage to two other landing ships. By some accounts, one-third of the Black Sea Fleet now has some kind of damage.

Ukrainian attacks reportedly have forced Russian warships away from Sevastopol. By: MEGA

Knewz.com reported in December 2023 that the Ukrainian attacks led to a decision to move some Russian warships away from Crimea. Front Page Detectives noted there was damage from a winter storm around the same time.

Either way, that’s fine for Ukraine’s President. Volodymyr Zelensky said on the night of March 24 that he’s grateful for “those who clear Crimea and the Black Sea of the occupiers’ presence.”