--- title: "Russian Landing Ship Destroyed In Massive Explosion In Captured Ukrainian Port City" description: "The explosion left one Russian amphibious ship destroyed and another running from the Ukrainian port on fire." date: "2022-03-24" modified: "2022-03-24" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/44904/russian-landing-ship-destroyed-in-massive-explosion-in-captured-ukrainian-port-city" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Landing Craft" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Russia" - "Russian Navy" - "Sea" - "Ukraine" tags: - "black sea fleet" - "Russian Navy" - "Sea of Azov" - "Ukraine" --- # Russian Landing Ship Destroyed In Massive Explosion In Captured Ukrainian Port City ![]() *www.twz.com* A Russian Navy landing ship has likely been destroyed after an explosion and fire on board in the [Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk]() on the Sea of Azov, southeast Ukraine. The vessel in question was the [Project 1171]() *Alligator* class landing ship *Orsk*, while another two [Project 775]() *Ropucha-II* class landing ships, *Tsesar Kunikov* and *Novocherkassk*, were seen departing the port, at least one of them also on fire. There have been claims made that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an attack on the *Orsk*, potentially using one of their [Tochka]() (SS-21 Scarab) short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), but there’s so far no evidence to confirm exactly what led to the inferno on the vessel. https://youtube.com/embed/7g5ZVwDqLRg The incident seems to have begun at around 7:45 AM local time, when a significant explosion was noted aboard one of the vessels at Berdyansk, later identified as the *Orsk*. Soon after, the other two landing ships left the port. Differing reports suggest that either one or two of these vessels was also on fire, although it’s also been reported that these blazes were fairly quickly extinguished. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506996497405128710 https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506886154838319114 https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506969662789140480 Ironically, the arrival of the landing ships in Berdyansk earlier this week had been heralded by Russia as a significant development in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the event had been covered extensively by Russian state media. At the time, a video appeared showing [BTR-82A armored personnel carriers]() in the process of being unloaded from the *Orsk*. https://youtube.com/embed/y4ob6U1wyKg However, it’s unclear what was aboard these vessels and to what degree they had been unloaded at the time of today’s incident. The *Alligator* class is able to transport up to 425 troops as well as 20 tanks or 40 armored vehicles, or other cargoes. The size of the explosion and intensity of the fire aboard the *Orsk* was such that there have been some claims it was loaded with ammunition at the time. While there is no confirmation of this, the dramatic inferno does show some evidence of what looks like ammunition ‘cooking off’ — unfired weapon ammunition exploding prematurely due to the intense heat. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506876060859834373 https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506992971266367499 Unconfirmed reports also suggest there may have been eight sailors killed on the *Tsesar Kunikov* and three killed and three injured on the *Novocherkassk.* https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506891565482266624 Soon after the news of the incident, claims began to surface of a successful Tochka strike on Berdyansk, although the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense so far seems not to have presented this narrative, instead noting that “The large landing ship *Orsk* of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian occupiers was temporarily destroyed in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk.” https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506891243799855105 Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar [told Ukrainian TV]() that the armed forces had hit a “huge target, capable of carrying 20 tanks, 45 armored vehicles, and 400 troops,” but did not disclose how this had been achieved. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506998171196694528 If reports of an SRBM strike turn out to be true, this would be a major coup for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which are strictly limited in their ability to target Russian vessels when they’re at sea, with few if any operational anti-ship missiles. With that in mind, a collection of high-value landing ships in port would certainly have presented a very tempting target for the Ukrainians. The only other confirmed successful Ukrainian attack on a Russian ship is an incident that came to light earlier this week in which a Russian Navy [Project 03160 *Raptor*]() class patrol boat was damaged with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) while underway near Mariupol. There remains the possibility that an ATGM team could have penetrated close enough to the port to take a shot against the warships there. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506229325598756872 On the other hand, it’s questionable whether a Tochka SRBM would have the accuracy to target a particular ship unless the strike was simply a very lucky hit and the missile had been directed at the area of the port in general. The later Tochka-U version of the missile is [assessed]() as having a [circular error probable]() (CEP) of around 100 yards, although using an optional submunition warhead would mean that even a hit in the vicinity of the vessel could have led to its destruction. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506925818315956225 Evidence in favor of a successful SRBM strike includes video from earlier this month showing the remains of a Tochka-U missile reportedly at the port in Berdyansk. At the time, Russian media reported that this particular missile had been brought down by its air defenses. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506882837064347648 https://twitter.com/\_/status/1505180891307511813 There are also unconfirmed reports, citing only anonymous “Odesa sources,” that a Ukrainian [Bayraktar TB2 drone]() was also used in the supposed attack on the port, either as a strike asset or, more likely, to provide targeting coordinates https://twitter.com/\_/status/1506988903613571073 It’s conceivable, too, that, some other kind of Ukrainian action led to the incident, perhaps via some kind of sabotage operation, like the aforementioned ATGM team. On the other hand, there remains a strong possibility that the explosion noted in the port was not the result of any kind of hostile activity, but instead the ammunition — or other volatile cargo — aboard the *Orsk* ‘cooking off’ after a fire had been started by other means, perhaps accidental. As *The War Zone* [has discussed in the past](), naval vessels can be at their most vulnerable while in port. The process of unloading cargoes of weapons, for example, would only make that situation more hazardous. The significance of the loss of the *Orsk* is compounded by the fact that Russia is now no longer able to bring additional warships into the Black Sea, and the adjacent Sea of Azov, after Turkey closed access via the Dardanelles as is its right [under the Montreux Convention](). This prohibits warships of all navies from entering these waters unless they are returning to their homeports in the Black Sea. As such, the incident greatly degrades Russia’s amphibious capabilities in the region. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1485621019931037701 What’s more, Russia has been more generally struggling with the [logistical burden]() of its multi-pronged assault on Ukraine and the removal of another means of bringing supplies to support its troops is a major blow. ***Footage of the Orsk being unloaded at Berdyansk earlier this week:*** https://youtube.com/embed/9XEqYRH-\_n0 If this was indeed a planned Ukrainian attack, rather than an accident of some kind, it could also threaten to derail Russian plans to use Berdyansk — and perhaps by extension other captured Ukrainian ports. It’s unclear where the two *Ropucha-II* class landing ships are now headed, but their departure could signal a withdrawal to Sevastopol, the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea. Overall, the inability to secure port facilities in Ukraine will only make the challenge of [sustaining an occupation]() harder still. Even if the incident was an accident, it remains to be seen what condition the port facilities have been left in, but that may also influence the degree to which the port can be used by Russia in the near term. While the exact long-term results of whatever happened today at Berdyansk remain more uncertain, there are obviously many details of the incident that remain to be disclosed. In the meantime, Russia has almost certainly lost an important asset in its ongoing campaign and one that is impossible to simply replace. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()