The Ukrainian Defense Forces launched a strike with a Neptune anti-ship missile on the Russian ship Konstantin Olshansky. This was announced on the national telethon by the spokesman for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk.
According to him, Russia captured this landing ship during the occupation of Crimea in 2014.
"It stood in the bay for nine years, and the occupiers began to disassemble it for spare parts. In the 10th year of the war, the enemies realized that they were running out of large landing ships, so they restored it within a year," Pletenchuk said.
The Navy spokesman noted that the extent of damage to the damaged ship is currently being determined. However, it was definitely damaged and is currently unfit for combat use. “This ship was to be used by Ukraine. Therefore, a decision was made to damage this unit with our “Neptune”, – he said. Pletenchuk added that the damage occurred on the same day as the sinking of the large landing ships “Azov” and “Yamal”, as well as the Russian reconnaissance ship “Ivan Khurs” – March 24.
After the Ukrainian attack, Russia has five VDKs in service, four more are under repair again, the Navy spokesman added. “Konstantin Olshansky” is a large landing ship of project 775 (“Toad” according to NATO classification). It is a multi-deck, flat-bottomed ship of the ocean zone with a half-tank and a developed aft superstructure. Named in honor of Hero of the USSR Konstantin Olshansky – commander of a detachment of 68 paratroopers who participated in the expulsion of the Nazi occupiers from Mykolaiv during World War II.
The main purpose of the VDK “Konstantin Olshansky” is to receive from the equipped or unequipped shore tracked, wheeled and any military transport equipment, infantry units of equipment, their transportation by sea and landing on both equipped and unequipped coasts with a small slope of the bottom. Also – reception from the water, transportation by sea and launching of swimming equipment. In addition, the ship can be used to install minefields, deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the population from dangerous areas. And also – for military transportation, provision of ships and fleet units in dispersed basing points.
