Russian Sailor Who Burned Serpukhov Missile Ship Reveals How He Pulled Off the Sabotage

A Russian Navy sailor secretly smuggled gasoline aboard his own missile ship, stole classified documents and then set fire to the vessel before fleeing Russia and eventually joining the Freedom of Russia Legion fighting alongside Ukraine, Sky News reported on August 31.

The sailor, identified by the call sign Goga, had served as a radio operator aboard the Serpukhov, a Russian Buyan-M-class missile corvette stationed in Kaliningrad and capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles.

The sabotage knocked the ship out of action for months, preventing it from being used to launch Kalibr missiles against Ukraine.

Goga told Sky News that he had opposed Russia’s full-scale invasion from the beginning despite serving in the Russian military.

“I was the only person on the ship who did not support the war,” he said.

Raised in a military family in Kaliningrad, Goga initially tried to convince fellow sailors that the invasion was wrong. His efforts eventually brought him to the attention of military prosecutors, who issued him an official warning.

He later attempted to leave the Russian Navy through official channels, but his resignation request was rejected.

“After I had exhausted every possible legal avenue for leaving the military, I no longer knew what to do or how to get myself discharged from service,” Goga said.

His situation became more urgent when rumors began circulating that several Russian vessels could soon be deployed for operations connected to the war against Ukraine.

Determined not to participate in attacks on Ukrainians, Goga contacted the Freedom of Russia Legion, a formation composed largely of Russian citizens fighting against Moscow’s forces.

After an extended verification process, a plan was developed for him to sabotage the Serpukhov and escape.

While continuing to serve aboard the ship, Goga gradually collected classified military documents and secretly carried containers of gasoline onto the vessel.

“I began bringing fuel into the communications compartment and pouring it onto the equipment,” he said.

Before starting the fire, Goga also removed sensitive documents from the ship.

“Before that, I gathered all the classified documents and took them with me,” he stated.

He then set a timer to ignite the fire, left the vessel carrying the files and took a taxi toward the Lithuanian border.

The blaze spread through the ship’s communications compartment, damaging critical electronics and putting the Serpukhov out of service for several months.

The damage deprived Russia of one platform capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles during that period.

Goga later reached Ukraine and joined the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Previously, reports emerged that several damaged vessels belonging to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have been spotted sheltering in bays around temporarily occupied Sevastopol, including a damaged missile boat concealed beneath camouflage netting.

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