Ukraine sinks another Russian landing ship

The Russian Navy's Ropucha-class Project 775 LST Tsesar Kunikov (158). (Yoruk Isik)

The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (GUR) claims that its Group 13 unit has conducted a successful attack against the Russian Ropucha I-class tank landing ship (LST) Tsesar Kunikov using Magura V unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

Video footage released by the GUR on its Telegram channel on 14 February shows USVs approaching a Ropucha I landing ship and at least two detonating against its port side. The LST is then shown listing heavily to port before sinking.

Tsesar Kunikov, which suffered light damage in March 2022 from being in close proximity to the Alligator-class landing ship Saratov when it exploded, is the fourth Ropucha-class LST to be attacked and the third to be sunk. Olenegorskiy Gorniak was struck and damaged by at least one USV off the Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk, while Minsk and Novocherkassk were hit and destroyed by air-launched missiles in the Crimean ports of Sevastopol and Feodosia respectively.