The attacks on the Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don and the landing ship Minsk during the night of September 13th were executed by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.
Special forces officers have disclosed specific aspects of the operation. They received intelligence from multiple sources about the probable location of the Minsk large landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine at a ship repair facility in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol.
To pinpoint targets, guide the attack, and gather intelligence within the operational area of the Russians, Special Operations Forces deployed skilled operatives. The group reached a secure location by boat and proceeded to the shore using underwater delivery vehicles.
After a successful infiltration into specific Russian positions, the soldiers began executing the primary phase of the operation. They utilized specialized reconnaissance equipment for target identification and designation. During the actual strike (in which the Ukrainian Air Force deployed Storm Shadow cruise missiles), the group conducted fire adjustments and verified target destruction.
Following this, the Special Operations Forces successfully withdrew their personnel from the combat zone, known as exfiltration.
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A statement from the Special Operations Forces expressed appreciation for the professionalism and daring of their soldiers. The release of this information comes after a period, considering operational security, to convey to the enemy that there are no safe havens for them.
On the night of September 12th-13th, the authorities in the occupied city of Sevastopol reported that a missile attack led to a fire at a shipyard near Kilen-balka. The Russian Ministry of Defence also confirmed a missile attack, along with actions by unmanned surface vessels, resulting in damage to two ships.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) researchers indicated that a Ropucha-class large landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine sustained damage at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza reported that the Minsk large landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine were affected by the attack. Notably, the Rostov-on-Don submarine, launched in 2014, is equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, which the Russian Federation has deployed against Ukrainian cities.
According to UK Intelligence, the Russian large landing ship Minsk and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine, both undergoing dry-dock repairs in Sevastopol, sustained significant damage as a result of the strike by Ukraine.
On the afternoon of September 13th, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, expressed gratitude to Ukrainian pilots for their actions in causing explosions in temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
