British intelligence foresees implications of Ukrainian strike on Novocherkassk vessel

The destruction of Russia’s Novocherkassk large landing ship in temporarily occupied Crimea of the Russian will affect the logistical support of the invaders in the area.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on X with reference to intelligence data, Ukrinform saw.

As British intelligence recalls, on December 25, Russian Navy’s Ropucha-class Novocherkassk landing ship tank, docked at the port of Feodosia, was completely destroyed as a result of a Ukrainian strike.

Open source data suggest that the vessel had highly likely been carrying an explosive cargo, which caused a powerful secondary explosion following an initial hit.

The incident took the number of LSTs Russia has lost since the invasion to three: the Saratov sunk on March 24, 2022, while the Minsk was functionally destroyed in dry dock on September 13, 2023. Two additional LSTs have likely been damaged.

“Russia likely planned to use its LST force to launch significant amphibious assaults during the invasion and it doubled the number of these vessels in the Black Sea during the build-up to the war. As the war has dragged on, the ships have been more commonly employed in providing logistical support. This is a significant role because it augments the vital and relatively fragile road and rail connection of the Crimea Bridge, which links Crimea to Russia," the report reads.

As reported earluer, in the early hours of Tuesday, December 26, Ukrainian defenders blew up Russian Navy’s Novocherkassk large landing ship in temporarily occupied Feodosia.

According to the Russian media platforms, 33 crew are considered missing, while one sailor died and another 23 were injured.