- Category
- War in Ukraine
Russia’s Black Sea Spy Ship Ivan Khurs Left Crippled After Years of Ukrainian Strikes
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Russian intelligence-gathering vessel assigned to the Black Sea Fleet appears to have suffered extensive damage following a series of Ukrainian attacks carried out between 2023 and 2026.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
According to photographs and videos published by monitoring channel Krymskyi Veter on June 12, the Russian Project 18280 reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs is moored in Sevastopol’s Oil Harbor in temporarily occupied Crimea with visible structural damage and large sections of its equipment missing.
The channel reported that the vessel’s condition reflects damage sustained during a series of Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian naval assets in the Black Sea.
👀"Our eyes" see everything:
— Beefeater (@Beefeater_Fella) June 12, 2026
The latest ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been completely destroyed
The reconnaissance ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, "Ivan Khurs", is docked in the Oil Harbour of Sevastopol. The last attack completely destroyed it.
Part of the… pic.twitter.com/ad1Y2ZKgF1
According to the published footage, part of the ship’s bridge structure is missing, the funnel has been removed, and the main mast—previously used to carry communications and electronic surveillance equipment—is covered by construction scaffolding.
The images also indicate that equipment previously installed on the stern is no longer visible, while sections of the bow and forecastle deck are concealed beneath camouflage netting.
The Ivan Khurs entered service with Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in 2018 and is one of a small number of Project 18280 intelligence ships built for the Russian Navy. The class was designed to conduct signals intelligence, electronic surveillance, communications support, and monitoring of missile defense and air defense systems.
The vessel has a full displacement of approximately 4,000 tons, a length of 96 meters, and a crew of more than 120 personnel. Its armament consists primarily of heavy machine-gun mounts and portable air-defense systems, while its main role is intelligence collection rather than combat operations.
Ivan Khurs has been targeted multiple times since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The ship was reportedly attacked by Ukrainian maritime drones in May 2023. In March 2024, it was again reported damaged during a missile strike, with accounts indicating that one missile hit the vessel’s stern section.
Earlier, a Ukrainian naval drone strike near the Kerch Bridge on April 30 reportedly destroyed a Russian FSB-operated Project 12200 Sobol patrol boat, killing all eight crew members on board. According to Ukraine’s Navy, the vessel was part of the maritime security force protecting the bridge and was struck alongside a Grachonok-class anti-sabotage boat.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
