The Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine Rostov-on-Don, struck twice by Ukrainian forces, has been raised, but no repairs have started, according to the Ukrainian partisan group “Atesh.”
The group said the vessel is currently docked at one of Sevastopol’s bays in occupied Crimea and remains out of service, suggesting the damage may be too severe to justify restoration in terms of resources and time.
“Atesh” agents claim to be monitoring key bays and facilities of the Russian fleet. They said that after successful Ukrainian strikes, Russian forces are “in panic,” covering equipment with camouflage nets, moving assets only at night, and keeping air defenses on constant alert.
Special attention is focused on the Rostov-on-Don, according to the group’s statement.
“Twice damaged by strikes of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, thanks in part to our agents, it is still not restored,” Atesh wrote on Monday.
“Atesh” also said it is monitoring the rescue vessel Epron and the Ukrainian landing ship Konstantin Olshansky, seized by Russia in 2014. The group said all gathered information is shared to enable new precision strikes.
The statement ended with an appeal to residents of occupied Crimea to report movements of Russian troops, equipment or air defense positions, promising generous rewards for valuable intelligence.
Kyiv has intensified attacks on occupied Crimea in recent months.
Earlier on Monday, Kyiv Post reported that a special operations unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) has destroyed two Russian Be-12 “Chaika” anti-submarine amphibious airplanes in occupied Crimea, marking the first confirmed combat destruction of this model of Soviet-designed flying boats.
The operation, carried out on Sept. 21 by HUR’s “Ghosts” unit, targeted Russia’s naval aviation assets on the peninsula.
“This is the first ever destruction of Be-12 aircraft in history,” HUR wrote.
The Be-12, nicknamed “Chaika” (seagull), was developed in the 1950s and remains in limited use by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The turboprop amphibious planes are equipped with advanced systems to detect and combat submarines, making them valuable for maritime patrols.
In addition to the two Be-12s, Ukrainian forces said they also hit another Russian Mi-8 multirole helicopter during the same raid. No details were given about the exact location of the strikes in Crimea or the weapons used.
Along with the statement, HUR also published a corresponding video that captures a first-person view of the strike, with the drone camera rapidly closing in on the Russian aircraft before a major blast. Two Be-12 anti-submarine seaplanes and a Mi-8 helicopter parked on the airfield are hit in sequence.
On Sunday, HUR also said it had struck Russian Mi-8 helicopters and Nebo-U radar systems in occupied Crimea amid Kyiv’s intensified aerial assaults on the occupied peninsula.
In early September, HUR said it destroyed a 48Ya6-K1 “Podlet” radar and an RLM-M module of the 55Zh6M “Nebo-M” system, in addition to more Mi-8s and a tug boat targeted earlier the same month.
Ukraine reportedly used its new Flamingo missile during one of the strikes.
A spokesperson from the Ukrainian navy said Russia has positioned more air defense systems than the oil refineries located within Russia.