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Ukraine Hits Russian Karakurt-Class Missile Ship in Primorsk Port
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck a Russian missile ship capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles during a drone attack on the port of Primorsk overnight on May 3, targeting multiple military and energy-related assets.
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According to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published on May 3, the operation resulted in damage to a Russian Karakurt-class missile ship, as well as a patrol boat and a tanker linked to Russia’s so-called shadow oil fleet.
Zelenskyy said he had been briefed by acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Major General Yevhenii Khmara, on the outcome of the strike.
“Each such result limits Russia’s war potential. I approved the SBU’s additional, entirely justified responses to Russian strikes on our cities and villages. Russia can end this war at any moment. Prolonging the war will only lead to the expansion of our defensive operations,” Zelenskyy stated.
The strike was carried out as a joint operation involving the SBU, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), and border guard units.
The targeted vessel belongs to Russia’s Project 22800 Karakurt-class small missile ships, designed primarily as carriers of cruise missiles. These ships are equipped with a vertical launch system with eight cells capable of deploying Kalibr cruise missiles or P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles.
The Karakurt-class also features a 76.2 mm AK-176MA naval gun, two 30 mm AK-630M close-in weapon systems, and 12.7 mm machine guns. Later ships in the series have been fitted with the naval Pantsir-ME air defense system, with the option to integrate the Tor-M2KM system for additional air defense coverage.
The vessels have a displacement of approximately 800 tons, a length of around 60 meters, and a maximum speed of up to 30 knots, with an operational range of about 2,500 nautical miles and endurance of up to 15 days.
In addition to the missile ship, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a patrol boat, another tanker associated with Russia’s shadow oil fleet, and caused significant damage to infrastructure at the oil transshipment terminal in Primorsk.
Earlier, SBU reported a coordinated drone strike on multiple Russian military targets in occupied Crimea on April 26, including naval vessels, air defense systems, and a MiG-31 aircraft at Belbek airfield. According to the SBU, the operation targeted ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, radar systems, and reconnaissance infrastructure.
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