Kyiv, — April 20, 2026 : Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that a coordinated overnight operation conducted on April 18–19, 2026, targeted key Russian military assets in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, resulting in the disabling of two large landing ships and the destruction of an advanced radar system.
Operation Overview
According to GUR, the strike was carried out by its “Prymary” special unit, which deployed kamikaze drones against naval and air defense targets located in Sevastopol Bay. At the time of the attack, both vessels were moored within the harbor.
Video footage released by Ukrainian intelligence shows multiple drone impacts on the targets. GUR stated that the operation resulted in both ships being rendered inoperable, while the radar installation was destroyed.
Targeted Naval Assets
The two vessels struck belong to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and have been used in operations linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Yamal (Project 775, Ropucha-class)
Built in 1988 at the Stocznia Północna shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the vessel measures 112.5 meters in length and is capable of transporting up to 500 tons of cargo. It is designed for amphibious operations, including the deployment of armored vehicles and troops. Ukrainian intelligence estimated the ship’s value at approximately $80 million.
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Nikolay Filchenkov (Project 1171, Tapir-class)
Constructed in 1975, this landing ship has a cargo capacity of up to 1,000 tons and can carry a large number of troops along with armored vehicles. GUR assessed its value at around $70 million.
Ukrainian officials indicated that both ships were actively employed prior to the strike in support of Russian military logistics.
Radar System Destruction
In addition to the naval targets, the operation also destroyed a Podlet-K1 (48Ya6-K1) radar system. This mobile radar, produced by Russia’s Almaz-Antey corporation, is designed to detect and track low-altitude air targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The system operates in the S-band using a phased-array antenna and has a reported detection range of up to 300 kilometers, with a maximum target altitude of 10 kilometers. GUR estimated the value of the radar system at approximately $5 million.
Damage Assessment and Impact
Ukrainian intelligence stated that the total estimated cost of the damaged and destroyed assets exceeds $155 million. The disabling of the two landing ships reduces the amphibious and logistical transport capacity of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The destruction of the Podlet-K1 radar system is expected to temporarily affect localized air defense coverage in and around the Sevastopol naval base, particularly in detecting low-altitude threats.
Operational Context
GUR described the strike as part of ongoing operations targeting Russian military infrastructure in occupied Crimea. The agency emphasized that the vessels had been actively used in support of Russia’s military campaign prior to the attack.
As of April 20, 2026, there has been no immediate comment or confirmation from Russian authorities regarding the reported strikes.
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