Main points
- The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed the Russian combat icebreaker “Purga”, most likely with the help of a light-engine aircraft with a 250 kg bomb.
- The Purga ship was used by Russian border guards and the FSB to sail near the North Pole, and could also carry a helicopter.
On the night of March 25, the Defense Forces of Russia hit the combat icebreaker “Purga”, a vessel of the FSB service, in the Leningrad region. Now the Russians have only 3 such ships left.
For such an operation, Ukrainian fighters could have used a certain type of aircraft. Aviation expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap told Channel 24 about this, noting that the route of his flight was also not chosen by chance.
How was the FSB ship destroyed?
An aviation expert explained that Ukraine used a light-engine aircraft carrying a 250-kilogram bomb to hit the Russian ship. Interestingly, this aircraft can be classified as a “build-it-yourself” aircraft, and its cost is $30,000-35,000.
Interestingly! At the same time, Defense Express analysts suggested that the ship could have been hit by a drone converted from a single-engine A-22 aircraft, which was carrying a large warhead.
According to him, the plane needed to carry approximately 100-120 liters of fuel for the flight, as it was flying at low altitudes.
Most likely, it flew along the border of Belarus and Russia, where there is no air defense. The Belarusians have already said that they heard and saw it, but could not do anything. The Russians decided to say that it flew through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia,
– said Kryvolap.
He added that the Purga ship was mainly used by Russian border guards and FSB officers to sail closer to the North Pole and break ice. However, although the ship is a patrol ship, it is able to tow a helicopter. In this way, the occupiers are trying to increase their capabilities near the Baltic countries and in the Barents Sea.
Why is the destruction of the Russian icebreaker important for Ukraine?
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The General Staff emphasized that such ships are not only icebreakers, but are also used as military ships.
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It is known that at the time of the attack, the ship was equipped with two container launchers “Caliber-K”, which can accommodate a total of 8 “Caliber” cruise missiles or 8 Kh-35 anti-ship missiles.
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That is why the General Staff also noted that the SOU will continue to strike important enemy targets not only in the TOT, but also on the territory of the aggressor country.