Northern Fleet ship seriously damaged in drone attack

The vessel that normally operates in the Barents Sea for the Northern Fleet has gotten a major tilt after an unmanned motor boat loaded with explosives hit it in Novorossiisk, the Russian naval base in the Black Sea.

Footage from site shows the Olenegorsky Gornyak being towed towards port by two tugs.

It appears to be in danger of sinking.

The attack happened during night time and video from the drone shows that the central part of the ship hull was hit. Its further destiny will depend on the compartments hit and the extent of closure of adjacent chambers.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the damage inflicted on the Olenegorsky Gornyak. On the contrary, a statement from the ministry reads that two attacking drones were discovered and eliminated.

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Also another naval vessel was reportedly attacked in the raid.

The raid is one of several recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea.

The Olenegorsky Gornyak is one of three landing ships from the Northern Fleet that has been in the Black Sea since Russia started its full-scale war against Ukraine in early 2022.

Recently, it has been engaged in the transportation of civilian vehicles and goods to and from Crimea.

The 43 year old ship that can carry up to 450-ton cargo and 25 armored personnel carriers.

In 2019, it returned to service in the Northern Fleet after five years of repair and upgrade.