Ukraine's "Wolfpack" Combines Aerial, Drone Attacks To Sink More Russian Ships

Ukraine's strategic war planning is increasingly evident in its increased sinking of Russian Black Sea Fleet ships. 

The Ukrainians have to used missile attacks to significantly degrade Russian air defenses around Crimea. This enables them to attack targets there from more directions. They are using combinations of aerial and naval drones to confuse and distract the Russians. The Russians pay more attention to aerial attacks allowing quieter naval drones to move in for the kill. JL 

Euromaidan Press reports:

Ukraine neutralized the Russian ship Caesar Kunikov south of Crimea, utilizing 7 naval drones to target the ship at night with the 5th generation of Magura drones. Adaptations of Ukrainian “Wolfpack” tactics are especially successful against stationary targets at sea. This tactic implies a coordinated attack where each drone is  reconnaissance, decoy, or striker. The marine strike happened only after Ukraine launched several waves of aerial drones. The naval drones approached the ship slowly, making them quieter and harder to detect. Ukrainian aerial drones are now attacking Crimea not only from the west but from the north and east because Ukraine has degraded Crimean air defense capabilities.
Ukrainian Special Forces conducted a successful operation where they engaged and neutralized the large Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov south of Crimea. This vessel, part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, represented one of the newest and best additions to the Russian naval capabilities. Russian sources reported that Ukrainians utilized seven unmanned surface vessels to target the ship at night, more precisely, the fifth generation of Magura drones.

Russian analysts note adaptations of the Ukrainian so-called “Wolfpack” tactics, which are especially successful against stationary targets at sea. This tactic implies a coordinated attack where each drone plays a crucial role in the success of the operation, be that a role of reconnaissance, decoy, or striker. Based on the combat footage released by the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate, four drones inflicted critical damage to the port side of Caesar Kunikov, leading to its sinking.

Screenshot from video by Reporting from Ukraine

Preliminary reports indicate a significant loss of life among the Russian vessel’s crew. Search and rescue operations conducted by Russian forces were reportedly too late and unsuccessful. The analysts noted that Russian commanders made a fatal mistake by stopping in the middle of the sea. The marine drone strike actually happened only after the aerial drone strike. Russian sources reported that before sinking the ship, Ukrainians launched several waves of aerial drones. Russian analysts note that the area of operation of Ukrainian aerial drones increased significantly because now Ukrainians are attacking Crimea not only from the west but also from the north and east. This implies that the January strike campaign considerably degraded Russian air defense capabilities. Based on the footage, the drones were approaching the ship relatively slowly, which means that they were much quieter and harder to detect. Getting so close while being undetected would be impossible if the ship was moving because the drones would have needed to move faster to catch up.Getting so close while being undetected would be impossible if the ship was moving because the drones would have needed to move faster to catch up.

Screenshot from video by Reporting from Ukraine

Russian sources even reported that Russians had to engage their fighter jets to intercept two out of three waves of drone attacks. The fact that Russians were engaging additional resources for aerial drone interception indicates that they were once again overly focused on the problems in the sky, failing to prepare for the main attack on their ship from the sea.

At the same time, Russian sources confirmed the death of the commander of the Russian 77th Marine Brigade, who died in a hospital in Crimea. Some sources indicate that he was wounded during the previous strike on the Russian headquarters in Crimea, while others say that he was wounded in the Kherson region.