Source: Privy Council No. 10
As the war entered its ninth day, the ground situation did not change much except for the controversy over nuclear power plants. Let us turn our attention to the Ukrainian Navy and the offensive and defensive activities of Russia and Ukraine along the Black Sea coast. Although there are sources claiming that "the Ukrainian Navy was destroyed on the first day", it has not been confirmed.
Now, it seems to be confirmed from the side. Photos posted on social media on the 3rd showed that the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy and also the largest tonnage warship of the Ukrainian Navy, the frigate "Gatman Sagaidakny", was half sunk on the dock. However, there are still different theories about the reasons for its sinking, one view is that Russia sank, others believe that it was the Ukrainian side that sank itself to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Russian army. In recent days, the Russian offensive along the Black Sea coast has made significant progress, and after the attack on the southern city of Kherson, Nikolayev and Odessa are in danger of being attacked.
First, the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy sank
On March 3, images of the Flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, the frigate "Gatman Sagaidaknyny", appeared on social media with their sides half-sunken. Sources say it was sunk.
But that view was soon questioned.
The article on the U.S. Warzone website says the Ukrainian Navy flagship, the ship, was deliberately sunk to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. "As Russia continues to advance on Ukraine's southern flank facing the Black Sea, the Ukrainian Navy does not seem to have ventured to offer Moscow an important battlefield trophy – the flagship of its fleet, the Gottman Sagaidachine.
The 3,100-ton frigate of the Ukrainian Navy has little significant combat capability relative to the mighty Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, but if captured, it will still be advertised as a major victory for Moscow, which could symbolically boost the morale of the Russian army.
On March 4, Ukrainian officials confirmed that the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, "Getman Sagaiddachny," had been sunk by its own side.
The experience of the "Gerthman Sagaydashny" is a microcosm of the Ukrainian Navy
It was launched on 29 March 1992 and commissioned on 2 April 1993. The main armaments include 100 mm deck guns, small artillery, anti-submarine grenade launchers, torpedo tubes and helicopters.
The frigate may not look strong, but it remains a source of pride for the Ukrainian Navy, frequently appearing in various joint military exercises.
In 2014, after the Crimean crisis broke out, the Ukrainian Naval Command and military port in Sevastopol were occupied, and 1/3 of the ships changed flags to Russia. At the time, the GERTEN Sagaidachine was participating in an anti-piracy exercise in Greek waters with a NATO warship that at one point raised the Russian flag and thought it had fallen to Russia.
But later, it raised the Ukrainian flag through the Bosphorus Strait and returned to the Ukrainian port of Odessa. Since then, the ship has continued to serve as the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, frequently participating in Joint Exercises such as the "Sea Breeze" in the West.
In January, the "Gerthman Sagaydashine" entered the port of Nikolayev for major repairs, but did not expect that it would never leave the port again.
Second, the coast of the Black Sea is facing a crisis of full-scale "fall"
When the "Gerthman Sagaidakny" sank, its port of Nikolayev was in danger of being approached by Russian troops.
The city of Kherson, not far east of Nikolayev, had just "fallen". It was the first city to be taken since the Russian invasion. Kherson Mayor Kolikhayev confirmed that Russian tanks and armored transport vehicles had entered the city and that there were "no Ukrainian troops" in the area. He said the Russian army entered the city hall to establish a military management agency there.
Speculation was that the Russians would continue to push westward, and ports such as Nikolayev and Odessa were in danger.
In addition to the land threat, the news on the 4th said that a large group of Russian landing ships were found on the southern coast of Crimea. They may be preparing for a landing operation, possibly in Odessa.
By occupying Odessa, the Russian army controlled almost the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine and cut off Ukraine's foreign shipping links.
Resistance of the Ukrainian Navy: Mine Warfare
At a time when rumors of a possible amphibious deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet off the coast of Odessa were rife, an Estonian cargo ship sank off the coast of Ukraine on the 4th. One sailor was killed and four missing.
The analysis believes that despite the activity of Russian and Ukrainian naval vessels in the vicinity in the past few days, it is clear that it sank after hitting a mine.
According to the latest AIS data, the ship was dropped anchored, which is surprising information. Because the likelihood of an anchor hitting a mine is extremely low. So, there are two possibilities for this:
First, the ship is anchored in the previous minefield and collides with the mine while drifting in the anchoring circle.
Second, the mine was freed from the chain, drifted on the surface of the sea, and collided with the moored ship.
There is no evidence of who minesed the mines in the area, but there are unconfirmed rumors that the Ukrainian side laid the mines in response to the threat of amphibious attacks by the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Soon, Ukrainian sources said the Russian Navy forced the cargo ship to act as a shield for "anti-ship weapons."
Perhaps mines are really the "anti-ship weapons" that the Ukrainian Navy poses the greatest threat to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.