Nine Crew Members Killed in Attack on Russian Grachonok Boat

Nine crew members were killed and two others were wounded when the Russian Project 21980 anti-saboteur boat Grachonok was struck on the night of April 30.

This was reported by the OSINT resource CyberBoroshno on its Telegram channel.

It is worth noting that the Grachonok is designed for a crew of six, so there were likely divers or gunners on board for defense against drones.

That same night, an FSB Project 12200 Sobol patrol boat was also struck. The strikes were carried out by maritime unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAVs) near the Crimean Bridge, which these boats were guarding.

The Ukrainian Navy noted that these boats are key assets of the FSB Border Service’s Coast Guard and the Russian Navy.

They were responsible for securing the waters around the illegally constructed bridge connecting occupied Crimea with Russian territory.

The Vympel Design Bureau developed the Project 21980 Grachonok anti-saboteur boat for round-the-clock protection of naval bases and maritime infrastructure facilities.

The boat is equipped with Kalmar hydroacoustic systems and Anapa stations for monitoring the underwater environment and detecting saboteur divers.

The boat’s armament consists of a 14.5 mm MTPU machine gun mount, DP-65A/DP-64 grenade launcher systems, and Igla/Verba man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has 9 such boats, including the one that was destroyed; another 4 are in service with the FSB Border Guard Service under the command of the Southern Federal District.

The Project 12200 Sobol high-speed patrol boat was developed by the Almaz Design Bureau to intercept violators and protect territorial waters in the coastal zone.

To achieve speeds of up to 48 knots, the boat is equipped with an automated trim control system that dynamically adjusts the vessel’s trim. Its armament includes a 14.5 mm MTPU machine gun mount, and its fuel supply provides a range of three days. The Russian FSB has 11 such boats in the Black Sea-Azov Sea area.