Russia Stripped Captured Ukrainian Warship Kostyantyn Olshansky to the Bone

In Sevastopol, Russian forces have looted the large Ukrainian Navy landing ship Kostyantyn Olshansky, captured during the 2014 occupation of Crimea.

According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, the ship was supposedly placed “for repair” at the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s 13th ship repair yard in Kilen Bay.

“Only the hull remains of the ship. There are no hermetic doors, no sealed portholes, and everything inside is empty. The tank compartment cover and ramp are also missing,” the report read.

The Kostyantyn Olshansky was one of the largest landing ships in the Ukrainian Navy. Reports suggest that Russia has used it as a “donor” for spare parts to repair similar Project 775 landing ships still in service.

Photos show the vessel is nearly stripped bare, making restoration unlikely.

Built in Poland in 1985 under Project 775, the Olshansky was designed to transport marines, vehicles, and cargo, and to land troops on unprepared shores. After the Soviet collapse, it joined the Ukrainian Navy and took part in international missions, including NATO operations.

During Russia’s invasion of Crimea in March 2014, the Olshansky and six other Ukrainian ships were blockaded in Donuzlav Bay after Russian forces scuttled old ships to block the channel.

On March 20, 2014, Russian commanders demanded the Olshansky’s crew surrender, but they refused. Four days later, around 200 Russian troops stormed the vessel. Before capture, the crew disabled its engines and electronics to prevent its use by the Russians.

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Since 2014, the ship has remained moored at a Russian naval facility in Sevastopol.

In late March 2024, Ukraine’s Naval Forces targeted the Kostyantyn Olshansky with a Neptune missile, according to Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk. He said the ship had been prepared by Russian forces for use against Ukraine.

“The decision was made to disable this ship with our Neptune system. Damage was inflicted,” Pletenchuk said, confirming the vessel was no longer combat-ready.

The strike was part of a larger Ukrainian operation that reportedly disabled four Russian ships – Yamal, Azov, Ivan Khurs, and Kostyantyn Olshansky. Following the attack, Pletenchuk revealed that of 13 Russian vessels in the region, 4 were destroyed, 4 were under repair, and 5 remained operational.

Pletenchuk added that the Olshansky – once one of Ukraine’s key amphibious ships – had long been “stripped for parts and simply looted.”

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine says it has destroyed about a third of the Black Sea Fleet, mainly through nighttime sea-drone attacks.