On July 14, Ukraine’s navy reported that it had destroyed the Russian FSB border patrol ship Izumrud near the port of Novorossiysk. Ukrainian forces said the ship was sunk using a Sargan-3000 uncrewed naval system.
The Ukrainian navy also said there were dead and wounded among the crew of the Izumrud. Russia had not commented on the claim as of the time of publication.
Ukraine’s navy later published a satellite image of the attacked ship, showing that it was partly submerged.
“It was the Izumrud that took part in the attack on Ukrainian navy ships in the Kerch Strait on Nov. 25, 2018. Retribution is inevitable. To be continued,” Ukraine’s navy stated.
The Kerch Strait incident
On Nov. 25, 2018, the FSB border patrol ship Izumrud played a key role in the pursuit and seizure of three Ukrainian vessels — the Berdyansk armored artillery boat, the Nikopol armored artillery boat, and the Yany Kapu tugboat — that were traveling from Odesa to Mariupol through the Kerch Strait. Russia claimed the Ukrainian ships had violated the rules for passage through the strait, which Moscow describes as its territorial waters. Ukraine insisted it had notified Russia in advance and had the right to free passage under a 2003 treaty that designated the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov as shared internal waters of the two countries. Kyiv did not and does not recognize Russia’s claims to waters off the coast of annexed Crimea.
Russian ships tried to stop the Ukrainian flotilla, and a large cargo ship was then placed under the Crimean Bridge, blocking passage into the Sea of Azov. After waiting for approximately eight hours, the Ukrainian ships turned around and headed back toward Odesa.
The Izumrud and the FSB patrol ship Don then began pursuing them — demanding that the Ukrainian vessels stop while using sound, light, and pyrotechnic signals. During the operation, the Russian vessels rammed the Ukrainian tug Yany Kapu several times. The Izumrud then fired warning shots and later warned the crew of the armored boat Berdyansk that it would fire to kill. At 8:55 p.m., the Izumrud opened fire on the Ukrainian boat.
Russia said the shelling took place inside the 12-mile zone off Crimea, which Moscow has claimed as its territorial waters since illegally annexing the peninsula in 2014. However, Bellingcat investigators concluded that the coordinates published by the FSB itself pointed to neutral waters — even under Russia’s official definition. Ukraine said Russian forces opened fire only after the Ukrainian vessels had left the 12-mile zone.
After the shelling, the Berdyansk stopped. The boat’s commander reported casualties and requested help. Three Ukrainian sailors were wounded, and all 24 crew members were detained by Russia. They returned home as part of a prisoner exchange in September 2019. Russia handed the seized vessels back to Ukraine in November that year.
