Details of the Russian Coast Guard fleet used to capture the Ukrainian warship

Tensions between Moscow and Kiev in the Black Sea flared up on the morning of November 25, when the Russian Coast Guard deployed forces to capture three Ukrainian warships that were trying to pass through the Kerch Strait to enter the Sea of ​​Azov. The Russian Coast Guard then opened fire on the three Ukrainian warships, accusing them of violating territorial waters and ignoring warnings while carrying out illegal and dangerous actions.

The key Russian forces in the hunt for the Ukrainian warship were the Izumrud and Don, two large patrol ships equipped with powerful firepower of the country's coast guard, according toArmy Registration.

In a video shared on Twitter, two Russian patrol boats work together in a “pincer” to intercept the Ukrainian tugboat Yany Kapu. After repeated warnings to stop over loudspeakers, the Don accelerated and rammed into the Ukrainian tugboat, causing the smaller vessel to sway violently and damage its starboard side.

The Don, numbered 353, is one of 17 Project 745P "Sorum" patrol vessels in service with the Russian Coast Guard. They were developed from the Project 745 offshore tug platform, with many changes such as increased firepower and long-term patrol capabilities. The Sorum class can also perform search and rescue missions and protect fishery resources in Russia's exclusive economic zones.

The Don patrol boat is 56.5 m long, 12.6 m wide and has a displacement of 1,620 tonnes. Its diesel engine allows it to reach a maximum speed of 24 km/h and a range of up to 14,800 km. Its large endurance allows its crew of 47 to operate continuously at sea for 40 days without resupply.

The Don's main armament is two 30mm AK-306 close-in defense guns located in front of the command post. Each gun has an effective range of 5 km against sea targets and 4 km against air targets. The rotating barrel design allows the AK-306 to reach a maximum rate of fire of 5,000 rounds/minute, each gun is usually equipped with 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

The AK-306 version does not have a guidance radar, but instead has a Kolonka-1 manual and optical-electronic fire control system. This fire control system is not suitable for the role of countering anti-ship missiles, but meets the requirements of the Russian Coast Guard's patrol and anti-piracy operations.

In addition to the Don, the Izumrud patrol ship also played an important role in intercepting and preventing the Ukrainian warships from speeding through the Kerch Strait. This is the 5th in a series of 12 high-speed patrol ships of Project 22460 "Rubin" that have been in service with the Russian Coast Guard since 2009.

The Rubin-class is designed to patrol Russia’s borders, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zones, as well as conduct search and rescue operations and combat smuggling and piracy. Each vessel has a double hull on the sides and bottom for increased survivability. The Rubin-class’s exterior has many angles, significantly increasing its radar stealth compared to older generations of Russian Coast Guard patrol boats.

The Izumrud is 62.5 m long, 11 m wide and has a displacement of 630 tons. The crew consists of 20 people, and the ship can also carry an additional 14 passengers. The ship is equipped with an MTU 16V4000M73L diesel engine, reaching a maximum speed of 46 km/h, a range of 5,600 km and a cruising reserve of 30 days.

The main weapon of the Rubin class is the AK-630M close-in defense gun platform controlled by the SP-520M opto-electronic system with laser rangefinder, allowing it to search, track and destroy targets from a distance of 4 km in both day and night conditions. Izumrud is also equipped with two 12.7 mm Kord machine guns and can carry eight Igla man-portable air defense missiles.

The design of the Rubin class allows the AK-630M gun to be replaced with the A-220M 57 mm rapid-fire naval gun system. Ships such as the Izumrud can also carry four 3M24UE anti-ship missiles with a range of 260 km, but this solution is only applied when a large-scale war breaks out.

The stern of the ship has a helicopter landing deck, capable of receiving Ka-226 transport helicopters or Horizon Air S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles, helping the crew identify small-sized targets from a distance of up to 150 km.