In a recent operation, the Russian military declared a successful raid on a port situated in the city of Ochakiv. The operation involved the destruction of a Ukrainian suicide boat warehouse, marking a significant blow to their naval capabilities.
On April 15, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that they had carried out a precise attack on the port area in Ochakiv, a city in the Mykolaiv province of southern Ukraine. The attack resulted in significant damage to the harbor, including the destruction of a warehouse containing unmanned Ukrainian suicide boats. Avia-pro news reported that this warehouse held a large number of new magnetic boats that were intended for use in an attack on the Russian naval base in the Black Sea.
Vitaly Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv, later confirmed the raid on the port of Ochakiv and stated that multiple rocket launchers were used in the attack. The head of the local government also acknowledged that the attack had caused severe damage to important infrastructure at the port.
Ochakiv has a strategic location as a gateway to the Black Sea and is situated between the breakaway Kherson area and the port city of Odessa. As a result, it has been repeatedly targeted by Russian military attacks in recent years. On April 10, a Ukrainian military base in Ochakiv was also attacked by the Russian military.
The available imagery reveals that a severe attack occurred at a Ukrainian army base, caused by the deployment of TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launchers, resulting in the destruction of the site through the creation of a shock wave. The location of the base, considered strategically significant by Kiev, has frequently been utilized by the Ukrainian military to launch assaults on Russian targets in the Kinburn peninsula.
In addition, Ukraine’s deployment of suicide boats is viewed as a critical asset by its military, with regular employment of this weapon to engage Russian warships in the Black Sea. Employing high-speed maneuvers, these boats have repeatedly been able to penetrate the defensive layers of Russian bases, conducting offensive operations to great effect. This operational strategy has been instrumental in curtailing the activities of the Black Sea Fleet’s warships.
The Russian Navy has implemented measures to ensure the safety of its vessels at the Sevastopol military port in the Black Sea, which include the installation of metal protective nets to block the port entrance. On March 22, these protective panels proved their effectiveness when they prevented at least one Ukrainian suicide boat from entering and subsequently exploding.
Moreover, the Black Sea Fleet frequently deploys small patrol boats to conduct near-shore surveillance operations, aimed at safeguarding its sizable and valuable warships.
