Karma: Russian vessel used in 2018 attack is now on the bottom of the sea

On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces scored a major victory deep inside Russian-controlled waters.

A high-tech sea drone managed to slip past defenses and sink a Russian border guard patrol ship, according to reports from the Ukrainian Navy.

The attack targeted the Izumrud, a massive patrol vessel sailing near the Russian port city of Novorossiysk. Located about 186 miles from the active front line, the area was previously considered relatively secure.

Military officials confirmed the ship went down after being struck by a Sargan-3000 sea drone. The Navy reported that the blast killed and wounded several crew members, though it did not provide exact casualty figures.

For Russia, losing the ship represents a serious blow to its local coastal defense operations.

“Revenge is inevitable. To be continued,” the Ukrainian Navy declared in a statement posted on social media.

Satellite images released by the Ukrainian forces show the Izumrud with a large hole in its side and partially submerged.

Article continues below.

Settling old scores

For Ukraine, sinking the Izumrud was about more than just reducing Russia’s naval strength. It was also a matter of settling a bitter historical grievance.

According to naval reports, this specific vessel played a key role in a major maritime clash in 2018.

During that confrontation, Russian forces opened fire on and captured two Ukrainian gunboats and a tugboat in the Kerch Strait.

The attack triggered international outrage and pushed tensions between the two countries to a boiling point years before the full-scale invasion.

Russian troops took 24 Ukrainian sailors captive during the incident. The captured sailors spent months in Russian custody before finally returning home in a 2019 prisoner exchange.

The Izumrud itself was a modern, second-rank patrol vessel commissioned in 2014. It featured a helicopter landing pad, measured about 205 feet long, and could reach speeds of up to 27 knots.

Now, the 750-ton warship lies at the bottom of the sea.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation