"About the attack on the patrol ship “Sergei Kotov” - analysis
@rybar
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
Since all the emotions and feelings about the latest attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with naval drones and the loss of the patrol ship “Sergei Kotov” have subsided, we would like to talk about what happened at night in more detail.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
The purpose of this analysis is not to reproach the Black Sea Fleet. The goal is to show the enemy’s tactics and to what we should pay attention to, in order to prevent this from happening in the future, and also to talk about the problems of our fleet using the example of Project 22160 ships.
![Red triangle pointed down :small_red_triangle_down: 🔻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f53b.png)
Progress of the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
After midnight, the patrol ship "Sergey Kotov", which was on combat duty south of the Kerch Strait, was hit by five unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces - they were preparing for the attack, the drones were drifting in the central part of the Black Sea.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
Why did all five drones hit the ship? The answer, alas, lies in the problems of the Project
22160 ship itself (we in no way want to shift the focus from the Black Sea Fleet, but still). Those ships are simply not equipped with the necessary means of protection: there is no air defense or anti-submarine defense. Only two machine guns are catastrophically insufficient for hitting group targets.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
After the attack, a tugboat and a patrol boat went to help the crew, and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian National Guard flew to the site of the attack, which destroyed the sixth unmanned boat to the west of “Sergei Kotov”.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
By 3am, most of the crew was evacuated to tugboats (in total 3 were involved), and it was decided to drag the ship to the port. However, the late-started struggle for survivability due to waiting for orders from the command (here is the direct fault of the Black Fleet’s lack of flexibility) essentially decided the outcome.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
By morning, “Sergei Kotov” began to sink southeast of Cape Takil. Three more unmanned boats appeared south of the Crimean Bridge, which were destroyed by the Mi-8 helicopter thanks to the illumination of searchlights from the tugs. Apparently, the bridge was the target of the attack.
![Red triangle pointed down :small_red_triangle_down: 🔻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f53b.png)
Several important points can be seen from the entire attack:
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
Project 22160 ships are not equipped to combat modern threats. Relatively cheap drones can disable expensive ships. This is despite the fact that they are also defenseless against UAVs due to the lack of air defense.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
At the same time, for a reason unknown to us, the crews of the tugboat with a simple searchlight and the Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Guard managed to cope with naval drones on their own.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
Unfortunately, we have to admit that the entire fleet does not have the practice of correcting its own mistakes - the same problems arise systematically. Going out on patrol alone without the right equipment and surveillance at night... still nothing has changed.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
The bureaucratic red tape that arose at the time of the attack caused the rather late start of the fight for the survivability of the ship. He could have been saved if everything had started in a timely manner.
![Black small square :black_small_square: ▪️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/25aa.png)
At the same time, the tactics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have undergone changes: now they attack at night in groups of up to 10 drones, and not just one or two like before - apparently, they first accumulate drones in the Black Sea and then attack. In the absence of the necessary countermeasures and poor visibility, this is quite logical, which results in lost ships every time."