The commander of the Crimean base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Felix Menkov, confirmed the loss of the Saratov large landing craft during the fighting in 2022. The update has circulated for some time and has now been clarified in statements from the field. The event marked a significant moment in the naval operations conducted in that conflict and has been revisited in recent discussions about naval capabilities and fleet readiness.
Earlier reports indicated that a landing ship from the Saratov class was destroyed amid sustained combat operations. Over the course of the fighting, the Saratov, along with other vessels in the same class, experienced heavy damage as surface-to-surface and air-delivered munitions impacted the ships. The situation involved navigational and logistical challenges that often accompany dense, high-intensity conflict at sea. The losses were not limited to a single vessel but included multiple units operating in the same area and during the same operations.
According to Menkov, personnel aboard the Saratov, along with crews of the Novocherkassk and Caesar Kunikov, were lost during those engagements. The reference to these losses underscores the human cost that accompanies naval disasters during rapid, contested campaigns at sea. The statements also point to the kinds of defensive and damage-control measures that crews must prioritize when confronted with sudden and severe threats in littoral and open-water environments.
Reports from the time indicated that the Saratov had been in port or near port facilities when it sustained damage from a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile. The incident reportedly led to a dangerous situation aboard the vessel, triggering a dangerous fire and the decision by the crew to scuttle or otherwise sink the ship to avoid a catastrophic explosion that could imperil nearby ships and personnel. The choice to neutralize the vessel in this way reflects the grim calculations that commanders face when ammunition stores pose an imminent risk after a battle. The incident remains a point of reference in discussions on fleet resilience, damage control, and the strategies used to prevent a broader catastrophe in crowded naval theaters.
In related analysis, the question of why a new carrier has not appeared in Russia for decades has been a topic of expert commentary. A veteran reserve admiral and military analyst, Mikhail Chekmasov, offered observations on the topic during an interview that examined Russia’s approach to carrier-enabled power projection and how it intersects with NATO carrier battle groups. The discussion touched on the broader issues of naval modernization, strategic priorities, and the challenges of sustaining a modern blue-water fleet in the face of advancing international military capabilities.
Taken together, these accounts illustrate the evolving understanding of how naval forces adapt to high-threat environments, the importance of robust damage control and survivability in ships designed for amphibious operations, and the ongoing deliberations about the role of carriers in national defense strategies. The broader conversation includes assessments of how coastal and offshore operations are conducted, how logistics are managed under pressure, and how allied and adversarial fleets influence regional maritime security dynamics.