Ukrainian fighters have succeeded in striking a blow against the Russian navy. Film footage and short reports of a large Black Sea Fleet landing ship on fire are being spread on Twitter. According to Western experts, it is the "Orsk", an Alligator-class landing ship. It is said to have been hit by missiles.
The shelling took place in the port of Berdyansk, around 70 kilometres south-west of Mariupol - in the zone along the Sea of Azov that had been under threat from Russian forces since at least the outbreak of the war and was later controlled.
The "Orsk" (BDK-69) is one of a maximum of seven available landing units of the Black Sea Fleet, three Alligator-class and four Ropucha-class. Two Ropucha were observed leaving Berdyansk after the fire broke out. Taking into account the assumed clear status and the 'normal' deployment of a landing ship to the Syrian port of Tartus, the Black Sea Fleet is likely to have a maximum of four landing units currently available.
Still large amphibious capacity thanks to tracking
On 10 February, the arrival of five Ropukha-class landing ships and the "Pyotr Morgunov", a modern Ivan Gren-class landing ship, was announced in Sevastopol. Three of the Ropucha are from the Baltic Fleet, the other three 'amphibians' were sent by the Northern Fleet. They set off on their journey to the Black Sea in mid-January and were able to reach their port of destination in the Black Sea before Turkey closed the Bosporus Passage.
The 6,000-tonne Ivan Gren-class ships can carry 380 marines with 36 infantry fighting vehicles or 13 main battle tanks and two on-board helicopters (Ka-29 or Ka-52K). The smaller 'Ropucha' are capable of transporting 340 men with three battle tanks or 12 armoured personnel carriers.
This means that the Russian military command in the Black Sea now has a maximum of ten large amphibious units at its disposal. And thus the ability to deploy over 3,800 men, more than 180 infantry fighting vehicles and/or more than 50 main battle tanks.
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