On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that the Alfa Special Operations Center had carried out a complex operation in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, during which three Russian warships were hit.
RFS Azov (151)/BDK-54, Project 775M (NATO reporting name: Ropucha-II) / Photo: George Chernilevsky via Wikimedia Commons
According to the published information, two Project 775/M landing ships (NATO reporting names: Ropucha/Ropucha-II) were hit: RFS Yamal (156)/BDK-67 and RFS Azov (151)/BDK-54, along with a third vessel of an unspecified type. The condition of the vessels was not disclosed.
In addition, one Project 21980 Grachonok small patrol/anti-saboteur boat was reportedly damaged.
Alfa SBU strike drones also damaged an antenna unit of the Delfin communications system, an MR-10M1 Mys M1 coastal radar station, and fuel tanks at the Yugtorsan oil depot in Sevastopol.
MILMAG Commentary
The Yamal and Azov had already fallen victim to a Ukrainian attack when, on March 24, 2024, they were hit in an air strike using MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The ships were damaged, and their status remained unknown.
The vessels were undergoing repairs at the 13th Ship Repair Plant of the Black Sea Fleet (FGUP 13 Sudoremontny Zavod Chernomorskogo Flota): Yamal, commissioned on April 30, 1988, since 2018, and Azov, commissioned on October 12, 1990, since 2022. Before the 2024 attack, Azov was reportedly preparing to begin sea trials.
Earlier, the Ukrainians had managed to destroy their sister ships RFS Caesar Kunikov (158)/BDK-64, Novocherkassk (142)/BDK-46, and Minsk (127)/BDK-43. They also damaged Olenegorsky Gornyak (012)/BDK-91 and the ex-Ukrainian Konstantin Olshansky (BDK-56).
As an interesting note, all Project 775 ships – 28 vessels in total – were built in Poland at the former Bohaterów Westerplatte Northern Shipyard in Gdańsk, which has operated as Remontowa Shipbuilding since 2011. The ships are 112.5 m long and have a full displacement of 4,076 metric tons.
СБУ влаштувала результативне «полювання» в Криму: уражено 3 кораблі, РЛС і логістику ворога
➡️ https://t.co/fE4m3UKI00 pic.twitter.com/HZDdeW0OO0
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) April 18, 2026
UPDATE
Video footage of the attacks and their aftermath has emerged:
Three Russian Ships Hit At Sevastopol: X2 Ropucha Landing Craft & Unknown https://t.co/PLFa2KaScl via @YouTube
— UASecure (@ua_secure) April 18, 2026