Witness video captured the moment one of the five Ukrainian unarmed surface vessels (USV) struck the Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov. The ship's silhouette can be seen on the dark horizon as it frantically fires at the incoming remote controlled bomb boats.

The cameraman wisely seeks cover following the strike, so only one blast is recorded before the video ends. However, the Ukrainian were successful in landing multiple hits on the ship and it was sunk soon after. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 5, 2024.

The Sergei Kotov is now the thirteenth major Russian naval vessel to be sunk or significantly damaged by Ukrainian attacks, most of which were carried out using USV bomb boats. The Sergei Kotov is a relatively new ship that went into Russian service in 2022 with a cost of $65 million. OSINT analysts on social media claim the ship was equipped with advanced radar assets, crucial to protecting the Kerch Bridge, a prime target for Ukrainian forces.

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Will Killmore

Will Killmore is a US Army combat infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. Following his time in service, he successfully pursued a certificate of journalism and has been a blogger for Funker530 since 2014. Follow Will’s bad takes on Twitter