Another Russian ship down: What is known about tugboat Saturn destroyed in Crimea

Photo: The Ukrainian intelligence services destroyed the Russian tugboat Saturn in Crimea (wikipedia.org)

Ukrainian intelligence officers destroyed the Russian tugboat Project 498 Saturn in Crimea. It happened on the night of June 6.

Find out what is known about this Russian tugboat in the RBC-Ukraine article.

Contents

・Defense Intelligence of Ukraine's special operation details

・Russian Saturn tugboat

・Is it a critical loss for Russia?

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine's special operation details

On June 6, a special unit of the 9th Department of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine successfully struck a Russian raid tugboat of Project 498 Saturn or Protey.

The operation was conducted in the waters of Lake Panske off the coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea. Intelligence officials note that the attack was carried out after a successful breakthrough of Russian defensive barriers in the Black Sea.

The published footage shows that the Russian ship was destroyed by naval drones.

Russian Saturn tugboat

Project 498 Saturn tugs are a series of twin-screw harbor raid tugs. They were created back in the 1960s and were part of the Soviet fleet, but were called Protey. These tugs are also known as b/k 1200 and bychok (bull - ed.).

During the Soviet era, these tugs were used as raid tugs for various civilian port services and in the support services of naval bases.

wikipedia.org

Later, the tug was modernized, and they were also supplied to Cuba, Iraq, and Germany. Saturn was the main type of harbor tug in the USSR and later in Russia. The main task of these ships is to withdraw, reposition, and moor large-tonnage ships. They can also extinguish fires on ships.

Main characteristics:

・displacement - 306 tons;

・carrying capacity - 46.1 tons;

・length - 29.3 meters;

・width - 8.3 meters;

・draft - 3.09 meters;

・full speed - 11.4 knots.

This is the first time that Ukrainian defenders have destroyed a Project 498 Saturn raid tug.

Is this a critical loss for Russia?

The specialized publication Defense Express believes that the destruction of the Saturn tug is hardly a critical loss for Russia.

However, analysts emphasize that it is important that Ukrainian intelligence officers practiced passing through booby traps in this special operation. As the consequences of the attack show, it is possible.

The Russians blocked the Sevastopol Bay with such booby traps and probably installed them in the port of Novorossiysk, where the Russian occupiers hid the warships.

Sources: Telegram channel of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Wikipedia, Defense Express agency.