Naval Losses During The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

24 Feb 2023 2 Comments

My photo of Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaidachny passing through the Bosphorus on 5 March 2014.

One year ago today the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. Here is the list of the ships that have been damaged or sunk during the course of the war. No roses grow on sailors’ graves. Glory to Ukraine!

Date Ship Type Country Event and Location Losses
24.02.2022 Yasa Jupiter Civilian merchant ship Marshall Island Damage by an airstrike, off the coast of Odessa No losses
25.02.2022 Millennial Spirit Civilian merchant ship Moldovia Damage from gunfire by Russian warships 12nm off Yuzny port 2 injured
26.02.2022 Namura Queen Civilian merchant ship Panama Damage by an airstrike, location unknown 1 injured
26.02.2022 Sapfir Civilian merchant ship Ukraine Seized by the Russians on Snake Island No losses
1.03.2022 Anonym Raptor class patrol boat Russia Claimed to be hit by Ukrainian armed forces, in the Sea of Azov Unknown
1.03.2022 Anonym Raptor class patrol boat Russia Claimed to be hit by Ukrainian armed forces, in the Sea of Azov Unknown
3.03.2022 Banglar Samriddhi Civilian merchant ship Ukraine Airstrike near Yuzny Unknown
3.03.2022 Slovyansk Island Patrol boat Bangladesh Damage by a missile hit near Olvia port 1 dead
4.03.2022 Helt Civilian merchant ship Panama Claimed to have been struck by a mine off the coast of Odessa No losses
4.03.2022 Hetman Sahaydachniy Krivak III class frigate Ukraine Scuttled at the pier by her own crew in Mykolaiv No losses
14.03.2022 Akkerman Gurza-M class patrol boat Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 Arabat Zhuk class coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-108 Zhuk class coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-14 UMS 1000 class coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-24 UMS 1200 class coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-308 Kalkan class  coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-310 Kalkan class  coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 BG-311 Kalkan class  coast guard vessel Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 Korets Sorum class tug Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
14.03.2022 Vyshhorod Gurza-M class patrol boat Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Berdiansk No losses
21.03.2022 Raptor bot Raptor class patrol boat Russia Hit with an anti-tank missile, in the Sea of Azov, towed back Unknown
24.03.2022 Saratov Ropucha class LST Russia Explosion and fire; sank in Berdiansk port Unknown
24.03.2022 Tsezar Kunikov Civilian merchant ship Sierra Leone Explosion and fire damage in Berdiansk port 8 injured
24.03.2022 Novocherkassk Alligator class LST Russia Explosion and fire damage in Berdiansk port 3 dead, 2 injured
24.03.2022 Ruşen Mete Ropucha class LST Russia Fire damage from the explosion in Berdiansk port Unknown
30.03.2022 Preyaslav Project 1824B intelligence vessel Ukraine Ukrainian intelligence vessel, hit by Russian special forces and artillery, in Dyneper River Unknown
5.04.2022 Azburg Civilian merchant ship Dominican Republic Hit by Russian artillery in Mariupol harbor, sunk. 1 injured
6.04.2022 Donbas Amur class repair ship Ukraine Hit by Russian artillery in Mariupol harbor. Unknown
9.04.2022 Apache Civilian merchant ship Malta Hit by Ukrainian artillery in Mariupol harbor. No losses
10.04.2022 Kremenchuk Gurza-M class patrol boat Ukraine Seized by the Russians in the port of Mariupol No losses
11.04.2022 Smata Civilian merchant ship Liberia Seized by the Russians in the port of Mariupol No losses
13.04.2022 BG-22 UMS 1200 class coast guard vessel Ukraine Sunk in Mariupol harbor Unknown
13.04.2022 BG-23 UMS 1200 class coast guard vessel Ukraine Sunk in Mariupol harbor Unknown
13.04.2022 Donbas Tarantul class coast guard vessel Ukraine Sunk in Mariupol harbor Unknown
13.04.2022 Moskva Slava class cruiser Russia Hit by anti-ship missiles, burned and sunk under tow At least 39
15.04.2022 Lubnia Gurza-M class patrol boat Ukraine Sunk in Mariupol harbor Unknown
15.04.2022 Meotida Damen TSHD 750 Ukraine Sunk in Mariupol harbor Unknown
18.04.2022 Tzarevna Civilian merchant ship Malta Hit by artillery in Mariupol harbor Unknown
2.05.2022 Raptor bot Raptor class patrol boat Russia Hit by MAM-L missile fired from TB-2 near Snake Island Unknown
2.05.2022 Raptor bot Raptor class patrol boat Russia Hit by MAM-L missile fired from TB-2 near Snake Island Unknown
4.05.2022 Serna LCM Project 11770 LCM Russia Hit by MAM-L missile fired from TB-2 near Snake Island Unknown
4.05.2022 Raptor bot Raptor class patrol boat Russia Hit by MAM-L missile fired from TB-2 near Snake Island Unknown
4.05.2022 Raptor bot Raptor class patrol boat Russia Hit by MAM-L missile fired from TB-2 near Snake Island Unknown
1.06.2022 Brentix Civilian merchant ship Tanzania Hit by artillery in Ochakov harbor Unknown
4.06.2022 Vinnytsia Grisha class corvette Ukraine Sunk/scuttled in Ochakov harbor. Not in use since January 2021. Unknown
17.06.2022 Spasatel Vasily Bekh Project 22870 tug Russia Hit by two anti-ship missiles 10 death, 23 injured
29.06.2022 D-106 Project 1176 LCM Russia Hit a mine off the coast of Mariupol and sunk Unknown
6.07.2022 Millennial Spirit Civilian merchant ship Moldovia Hit again by Russian missiles when drifting abandoned No losses
29.10.2022 Admiral Makarov Admiral Makarov Russia Claimed to be hit by Ukrainian naval suicide drones in Sevastopol Unknown
29.10.2022 Ivan Golubeets Ivan Golubeets Russia Claimed to be hit by Ukrainian naval suicide drones in Sevastopol Unknown
4.11.2022 Gurza-M bot Gurza-M bot Ukraine Hit by Russian loitering ammunition Unknown
24.01.2023 Tuzla Tuzla Türkiye Hit by Russian forces in Kherson harbor Unknown

I welcome any additions, changes, or corrections.

Filed under Black Sea, Ukraine Tagged with , , ,

A Primer On The Montreux Convention

24 Feb 2022

500px-Turkish_Strait_disambig.svgThis is just a short primer on the Montreux Convention that regulates the passage of Merchant and warship through the Turkish Straits.

Signed on 20 July 1936, The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits gives Turkey full control over the Turkish Straits, guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime and permits Turkey to remilitarise the Turkish Straits.

  1. The aim of the Montreux Convention is to regulate the passage of civilian and military ships through the Turkish Straits.
  2. The term Turkish Straits covers the Dardanelles, the Marmara Sea and the Bosporus.
  3. The Convention makes a clear differentiation between Black Sea countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia) and non-Black Sea countries.
  4. Merchant vessels enjoy total freedom of passage through the Turkish Straits.  Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services Centre regulates the passages according to the Maritime Traffic Regulations for the Turkish Straits dated 1998.
  5. The Black Sea Countries;
    • cannot pass warships solely designed to carry airplanes through Turkish Straits.
    • can pass submarines if they are joining their base in the Black Sea for the first time after their construction or purchase, or if they are returning from a repair in dockyards outside the Black Sea.
    • can pass their warships through Turkish Straits by notifying Turkey through diplomatic channels 8 days before the passage.
  6. The Non-Black Sea Countries;
    • cannot pass warships solely designed to carry airplanes through Turkish Straits.
    • cannot pass submarines.
    • can pass warships, but the aggregate displacement of the foreign warships in the Black Sea may not exceed 45.000 tons.
    • cannot hold their ships in the Black Sea longer than 21 days.
    • cannot have more than 9 ships in the Black Sea at the same time
    • can pass their warships through Turkish Straits by notifying Turkey through diplomatic channels 15 days before the passage.

For further reading:

  • The full text of the Montreux Convention can be found here.
  • The official Turkish stand of the implementation of  the Montreux Convention can be found here.

Filed under Bosphorus, Dardanelles Tagged with , , ,

Serial Production Line Qualification Test Of Atmaca Missile

20 Jun 2021 1 Comment

Turkish Navy conducted another live firing of Atmaca anti-ship missile on 18th June 2021.

The test was conducted again at the live-fire exercise area off the coast of the Black Sea town Sinop. The last of the Ada class corvettes, TCG Kınalıada had the honour to do testing. At the receiving end of the missile was this time not a target barge but decommissioned salvage and submarine rescue ship Işın.

The missile used was, assumed to be the first missile from the serial production line. Here are some screen captures from the videos published from the test.


This photo shows Atmaca right before impacting the target ship. The missile is capable of flying very low, making it difficult to differentiate from clutter and engage.

The missile hit the target amidships in the area marked in red. The hole is just above the water level.

The initial videos shared from the test ended when the missile hit the ex Işın, leaving enthusiasts wondering about the size and location of the damage. However, videos showing the damage submerged shortly after.

There is even a video showing the damage the missile has created inside ex Işın. This means that the ship did not sink immediately after the impact. There was enough time for some to go onboard and survey the damage from inside. That is reasonable as ironically it is more difficult to sink an empty ship than one in active service. The striped down hulls have nothing on them. No fuel, no ammunition no warheads or any incendiary material which may create secondary explosions and spread the fire.

When the serial production starts the Atmaca missile will replace the Boenig Harpoon missiles on Turkish warships probably on a one-to-one basis. This will need some changes in combat management systems to incorporate the new missile into existing software. The Ada class corvettes are the most likely candidates as the Genesis CMS is made by Havelsan. Thus this CMS is the easiest one to add the Atmaca. The next ships equipped with Atmaca might be the Barbaros class frigates that will receive the mid-life upgrade program or the Istanbul class frigates whichever comes first. Both classes of ships will again locally developed CMS making it very easy to add the new missile.

Ever since the long-range anti-ship missiles replaced the guns as the main offensive weapons, having total control and command on every aspect of this weapon has become vitally important for the war-fighter. By replacing the foreign missiles with local ones Turkish Navy will be able to trust that its punch will find its mark.

Filed under Equipment, Turkey, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , ,

What Is The Blue Homeland?

19 Aug 2020

Below is written by retired Admiral Cem Gürdeniz. The original text appeared at uwidata.com and is used here with permission. You can read the whole text here.

The Blue Homeland is a concept, a symbol, and also a doctrine. 

As a concept, its scope consists of all maritime jurisdiction zones (inland waters, territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone), declared or undeclared, as well as rivers and lakes. The Blue Homeland, in an exact sense, is an extension at sea and seabed of our homeland located between 26-45 East longitudes and 36-42 North latitudes. The Blue Homeland is the name of our zone of interest and jurisdiction over salty and fresh waters located between 25-45 East longitudes and 33-43 North latitudes.

As a symbol, it designates Turkey’s maritimization as its grand strategic goal for the state and its people in the 21st century. It symbolizes redirection of land-based mentality in Turkey to seas and thereby to achieve maritimization of its people.

As a doctrine, it’s a roadmap aimed to protect rights and interests in the seas surrounding Anatolia as well as seas and oceans beyond its periphery. Thereby, with their unique features, maritime principles and thoughts would be transformed into an illuminating roadmap and define our future on the axis of geopolitical zones of influence and defense. This concept could present new opportunities within the global process at a time of transition from unipolarity to multipolarity, from Atlantic age to Asian age, to strengthen Turkey’s geopolitical control over the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Straits. It may open unprecedented windows for change in Turkey’s dossier of global, continental, and regional relations. Naturally, this doctrine necessitates Turkey’s legitimacy with international law to dominate maritime zones as well as capabilities and volition to trigger events over political, diplomatic, military, and economic dimensions.

Filed under Turkey, Turkish Navy Tagged with ,

Ivan Khurs Deployed to the Mediterranean

30 Nov 2019

Yesterday, Ivan Khurs a Project 18280 class intelligence-gathering warship of Russian Black Sea Fleet transited through Istanbul.

This is the start of her first Mediterranean deployment. She was launched in 2017 and joined the Russian Black Sea Fleet in 2018. Her inaugural voyage to her base in Sevastopol was in December 2018. She has passed through Istanbul ob 27th December 2018 after sunset. So we are not able to see much of her.

Since her recent deployment happened in broad daylight we are able to observer Ivan Khurs.

Below are 3 photos of the various antennas onboard Ivan Khurs.

Filed under Bosphorus, Turkey Tagged with , , , ,

TCG Kınalıada Joins Turkish Navy

30 Sep 2019

TCG Kınalıada in Istanbul Naval Shipyard. This photo was taken on May 2019 by Gökhan Karakaş.

The fourth and the final Ada class Corvette TCG Kınalıada was commissioned to the Turkish Navy on 29th September 2019.

TCG Kınalıada has entered into service 8 years after the first ship of the class was commissioned. Her entry also means the completion of Milgem class corvette production for the Turkish Navy.

On the outside, TCG Kınalıada may very much look like the first ship TCG Heybeliada, but she incorporates significant improvements reflecting the advance of the Turkish defense industry during the last decade:

  1. TCG Kınalıada is the first ship ever to be fitted with the indigenous Atmaca anti-ship missile. The corvette is expected to conduct a live firing of the missile in November. When officially commissioned Atmaca will be fitted back to the existing warships in the inventory.
  2. TCG Kınalıada and TCG Burgazada are fitted with Aselsan Seaeye-Ahtapot electro-optic sensor on the aft mast while the previous ships use Aselflir 300. Aselflir 300 was originally designed for airborne platforms and was installed without much modification for a service on a warship. Thus the meantime between regular maintenance is quite short for a maritime system and the whole sensor must be taken down for the maintenance. These shortcomings are rectified in Seaeye-Ahtapot. It has a better tracking range and resolution.
  3. TCG Kınalıada and TCG Burgazada have Aselsan made Hızır countermeasure system for torpedo attacks.  The system consists of two decoy launchers on both sides of the funnel and one towed array and decoy. Though the system is very similar to a torpedo countermeasure system SeaSentor manufactured by Ultra, used the other ships. The logistics of a locally constructed system is preferred by the end-user.
  4. Another important change inside TCG Kınalıada is the new Genesis Advent combat management system with network-enabled capability. This new CMS has native data link capability and can manage Link 11,16 and 22 at the same time. It increases situational awareness. When ships are installed with Genesis Advent they will be able not only to see and share the same tactical picture but also to control and train each other’s sensors and weapon systems.

When I was watching the commissioning ceremony, I couldn’t stop thinking about, what would have happened, if the tender for the construction of 6 Milgem class, won by RMK Marine Shipyard had not been canceled back in 2013. Since the cancelation of the project happened before the completion of the contract negotiation thus we will never know the planned delivery dates. But surely we would have 2 to 3 more Milgem type corvettes in inventory as we do have now.

Even the best ship cannot be in two places at the same time.  And we need more warships now both to rejuvenate our aging fleet and to protect our interest in the blue homeland.

Filed under Equipment, Turkey, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , ,

First Steel Cut For Pakistan Navy Milgem Project Ship

30 Sep 2019


Pakistan Navy Chief OF Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and the President of the Turkish Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan jointly cut the first steel of the first Milgem class warship for Pakistan. The ceremony was held on 29th September 2019 in Istanbul Naval Shipyard.

In July 2018, a contract was signed between Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation (ASFAT) of Turkey and the Pakistani National Defense Ministry Ammunition Production and Karachi Shipyard for the construction of four Milgem class warships. The construction of the first ship will take 54 months and she is expected to be launched in 2012 and delivered to Pakistan Navy in 2023. The remaining ships will follow her in 6-month intervals. The last ship will be handed over in 2025.

The contract has also provisions for transfer of design rights and construction know-how from Turkey to Pakistan.

The first batch of two ships will be constructed in Istanbul Naval Shipyard while the remaining two in Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works.

The exact configuration of the Pakistan Milgem Class ships has not made public. During the Aman Naval Exercise held in February 2019, Admiral Abbasi said that Pakistan ships will be fitted with a 16-Cell VLS behind the main gun for Chinese made medium-range air defense missiles probably LY-80/HHQ-16 variant.

The main offensive weapons of the Pakistan ship could be either Chinese C-802 or local Harbah ASCMs. A CGI image used during the ceremony shows Turkish Aselsan built Gökdeniz close-in weapon system on the Pakistan ship in place of the RAM missile launcher of the Turkish ships.

Filed under Equipment, Turkey Tagged with , ,

Turkish Naval Forces Day Commemorated With A Sail Parade

27 Sep 2019

The 27th September, the anniversary of the Battle of Preveza, is celebrated as the Turkish Naval Forces Day.

On 27th September 1538, a naval battle for the supremacy in the Mediterranean was fought between the Ottoman Navy commandeered by Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa and the fleet of a Christian alliance assembled by Pope Paul III and commandeered by Andrea Doria. With the victory at Preveza and the subsequent victory in the Battle of Djerba in 1560, the Ottoman Empire successfully repulsed the efforts of Venice and Spain, the two principal Mediterranean powers, to stop the Turkish drive to control the Mediterranean.

To commemorate the day Turkish Naval Forces organized a sail parade through Istanbul. 8 warships and two special forces RHIB’s took part in the ceremony. All these ships minus TYCG Sancaktar are open for public on Friday afternoon and on Saturday in Istanbul. In all Turkey, 45 ships will be open for public to visit.

F-247 TCG Kemalreis the flagship of the Turkish Navy.

F-246 TCG Salihreis. She too has extra space and equipment to act as a flagship.

F-241 TCG Turgutreis. First-generation of MEKO 200 type frigates in service.

F-512 TCG Büyükada. The second Ada (Milgem) class corvette. She was launched 8 years ago on this day and commissioned 6 years ago again on this day.

F-511 TCG Heybeliada. The first indigenous warship constructed in Turkey. She was commissioned 8 years ago on this day.

L-403 TCG Sancaktar. The newest landing ship in inventory. She has extensive command and control facilities for land operations. 

P-335 TCG Atak. 

P-337 TCG İmbat. Both TCG Atak and TCG İmbat are the last generation of fast attack craft in the Turkish Naval Forces.

Filed under Bosphorus, Sighting, Turkey, Turkish Navy Tagged with , ,

Turkish Coast Guard RHIB With Thermal Camera

24 Jul 2019

It is interesting to note that the Turkish Coast Guard changes the configuration of hardware of small vessels depending on the region they are operating.

The above photo shows two small RHIBs of the Turkish Coast Guard. One of the left KB4307 was photographed on 1st July 2019 in İstanbul. One of the right KB4309 was photographed in Çeşme ten days later.

Both have a Raymarine radar. KB4309 has additionally one fixed mount thermal camera. The camera is either ML132 or ML232 from the USA company FLIR. In 2010 FLIR bought Raymarine so essentially FLIR and Raymarine are one. Why the RHIB in Çeşme has the thermal camera and the one Istanbul doesn’t have? The answer is illegal immigration and human trafficking. Çeşme being very close to the Greek Island Xios has been a hot spot for those who want to get across the sea and those who want to stop it.

The thermal camera on KB4309 helps its crew to see the boat full of immigrants in the night and probably records the events for further investigations.

Filed under Aegean, Turkish Coast Guard Tagged with , ,

The SNMG-2 Is Back In Istanbul

20 Apr 2019

The flagship of the SNMG-2 HMNLS Eversten in Istanbul.

Turkish contribution to SNMG-2, TCG Yıldırım in Istanbul after sailing the Black Sea for 21 days.

On 29 March four ships of NATO Standing Maritime Force 2 transited northbound through Turkish Straits and entered the Black Sea.

This was the start of the task force’s first Black Sea deployment in 2019.

The French National Marine contribution to the SNMG-2 FS Var also arrived in Istanbul but she did not proceed to the Black Sea with the rest of the group. She remained in the city for a 4-day port visit and later returned to France as her deployment with the task force was over.

Once in the Black Sea Bulgarian frigate, Drazki and Romanian frigate Regele Ferdinand joined the task force before SNMG-2 split in two.

The Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto and the Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria sailed to Odessa, Ukraine. According to NATO press release, while in Odesa, the ship captains meet with local military and elected officials, worked with Ukrainian Navy personnel and welcomed local Ukrainian civilians aboard during scheduled open ship periods.

The Canadian and Spanish frigates conducted PASSEX with Ukrainian Matka class (Project 206 MP) corvette Priluki. This exercise was dutifully observed by the Russian intelligence-gathering ship Ivan Khurs.

Turkish town Trabzon was the first stop for the remaining four ships of the task force namely HMNLS Eversten the flagship, TCG Yıldırım, BGS Drazki, and ROS Regele Ferdinand. Following a short 3-day visit, they have sailed to Poti Georgia. Like in Ukraine, following the visit to Poti, SNMG-2 ships conducted a Passing Exercise with the Georgian Coast Guard vessels.

The task force joined in Romanian port Constanta prior to the start of the largest multinational naval exercise in Romania’s territorial waters and in the international waters of the Black Sea: Sea Shield 2019. The Spanish frigate left the taskforce and exited the Black Sea before the task force’s arrival in Romania.

In addition to the ships of SNMG-2, the Greek fast attack craft HS Ritsos, Bulgarian corvette BGS Bodri, and Romanian frigate ROS Marasesti, corvettes ROS Contraamiral Macellariu, ROS Contraamiral Horia Macellariu, missile-carrying fast attack craft ROS Pescarusul, ROS Zborul, minesweepers ROS Lieutenant Lupu Dinescu, ROS Lieutenant Dimitrie Nicolescu also took part, along with Romanian detachment of EOD divers, two mobile anti-ship missile launchers and other support units.

According to the Romanian Defence Ministry approximately 2,200 troops, took part in the exercise who practiced against underwater, surface and air threats, adapted to the typology of security threats in the Black Sea region. The scenario of the exercise was fictional and aimed planning and execution of crisis response operations under the mandate of Security Council resolutions of the United Nations (UNSC), in the context of a security environment characterized by symmetrical and asymmetrical threats.

SNMG-2 exited the Black Sea on 17th April and arrived in Istanbul for a well-deserved port visit. HMNLS Eversten and TCG Yıldırım berthed while HMCS Toronto sailed to the Mediterranean without stopping in the city.

French replenishment tanker FS Var. She arrived in Istanbul with the rest of the task force but did not enter the Black Sea.

Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto. This photo was taken when she was passing through Istanbul. She spent 21 days in the Black Sea and left it sailing directly to the Mediterranean.

This is Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria passing northbound through Istanbul. She stayed only 7 days in the Black Sea before exiting it while the rest took part in the Sea Shield naval exercise.

Filed under Black Sea, NATO, Port Visit Tagged with , , , , , , ,

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