A Russian landing ship appears to have been damaged in a Ukrainian strike at the port of Novorossiysk, with new satellite imagery showing the vessel being towed by two tugboats inside the port on 25 November.

The ship is assessed by OSINT researcher Tom Bike as a Project 1171 large landing vessel, and its slow movement under tow suggests it suffered significant damage.

Ukrainian outlet hromadske, citing sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reported that the attack targeted several military and logistical facilities at the Novorossiysk seaport, including an oil terminal, air defence positions, and a large landing ship moored at the naval base. According to these sources, long-range drones were used in the operation.

Project 1171 landing ships are designed for amphibious operations and can transport troops, tanks and other armoured vehicles.

The Orsk and Nikolay Filchenkov remain in active service within Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Tom Bike said that the use of two tugboats and the vessel’s condition in the imagery indicate disruption to Russian naval operations.

The SBU stated that the attack was carried out in cooperation with multiple Ukrainian units, including Defence Intelligence, the Special Operations Forces, the State Border Service, the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the coastal missile and artillery forces of the Ukrainian Navy.

The operation was described as part of ongoing efforts to weaken Russian air defences and reduce the country’s oil revenues that fund the war.

During the strike, Russian air defence systems reportedly engaged nearby civilian areas, with video showing Pantsir missile impacts on residential buildings in Novorossiysk. The port is Russia’s second-largest oil export centre and the main base for the Black Sea Fleet.

On the same day, Ukraine also struck the Beriev Aircraft Plant in Taganrog, home to A-50 and Tu-95 bombers, where a rare A-60 laser aircraft was reportedly destroyed.

References: united24media, newsukraine