Explaining complex things in simple words: Destruction of Russian ship, aircraft downing, commemorating Bucha massacre

DESTRUCTION OF ANOTHER RUSSIAN SHIP

On the night of March 4 to 5, 2024, the Group 13 special unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence in cooperation with the Ukrainian Navy struck Sergei Kotov, the patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia.

▪ This is another significant sea victory for Ukraine. In 2024, this was the third ship of the Russian fleet to be hit (after the missile cruiser Ivanovets and the landing ship Tsezar Kunikov)

▪ The attack on the patrol ship Sergey Kotov took place in the territorial waters of Ukraine, with the use of Ukrainian sea drones Magura V5.

▪ The patrol ship Sergei Kotov was the newest of the enemy's destroyed ships; it was included in the fleet only in the summer of 2022. Its value is estimated at about $65 million.

▪ Project 22160 patrol ships, which included the Sergei Kotov, are carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles. With them, Russia systematically terrorizes peaceful cities in Ukraine.

▪ As part of the enemy fleet, there were only 4 patrol ships of Project 22160 (the Sergei Kotov is the newest of them). Another such ship, the Pavel Derzhavin, is under repair after an attack by Ukrainian naval drones in October 2023.

 AIRCRAFT DOWNING

In February 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Forces destroyed 13 Russian fighters. This trend extends to March as well.

▪ In February 2024, 13 Russian aircraft, mainly modern Su-34 fighter-bombers (11 units), were destroyed. Each can cost up to USD 50 million.

▪ In winter, Russia also lost two A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, of which Russian aviation has only a few.

▪ Since the beginning of the year, more Russian Su-34 aircraft have been shot down than the Russian Aerospace Forces received in 2022 (10) and 2023 (6). In total, about 80 combat-ready Su-34 units remain at the disposal of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

▪ The enemy uses the Su-34 aircraft to destroy fortifications on the contact line with guided bombs. Since the beginning of March, the Russians have used 60 Su-34 aircraft—most of the fleet.

▪ The defense forces managed to push the enemy aircraft away from the line of contact and weaken the offensive potential of the aggressor. Russia temporarily stopped using A-50 aircraft.

COMMEMORATING THE MASSACRE IN BUCHA

Two years ago, Russian occupiers carried out the first mass shooting in Bucha at 144 Yablunska Street.

▪ Bucha is a symbol of the Russian genocide of Ukrainians during the full-scale aggression. ▪ The Russians came to the Ukrainian land as invaders, colonizers, and murderers.

▪ The crimes of the Ruscists in Bucha have become widely known because they are the best documented. The investigation and journalists recreated the exact circumstances of the death of Ukrainian civilians.

▪ At the same time, there have been many other massacres that we know nothing of because of the Russian occupation.

▪ Ukraine will never make a “deal with the devil” and will not leave its citizens in occupation, condemning them to torture, death, imprisonment, and exile. 

Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security