Naval News is Western media. It's just specialist so can do original analysis as well as just reporting. This story might get picked up by some "western media" at some point. For naval stuff, follow Naval News (www.navalnews.com) not "Western media"

Really interesting design

Feb 14 2024: Ukraine's GUR attacks Russian Navy ROPUCHA Class landing ship Caesar Kunikov with USVs on the southern coast of Crimea. Vessel sunk.

Dec 25-26 2023: Ukraine hits Russian Ropucha Class landing ship Novocherkassk in the port of Feodosia, Crimea. Ship caught fire, seriously damaged likely write-off. She sunk at the pier.

Sep 13 2023: Ukrainian strike on Sevastopol, reportedly with Storm Shadow / SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Pr.775 Ropucha class landing ship Minsk (and Pr.636.3 Improved KILO Class submarine Rostov-on-Don (B-237)) seriously damaged in dry dock. Out of service, likely write-off

Aug 3-4 2023: Russian Navy Ropucha Class landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak struck by Ukrainian SBU maritime drone (USV) outside Novorossiysk. Significant damage. Towed to Novorossiysk. Subsequently repaired

From www.hisutton.com/Timeline-202... Mar 24 2022: Russian Navy Alligator class landing ship Saratov explodes while unloading at Berdyansk on Sea of Azov. Possibly hit by a Ukrainian ballistic missile. 2 Ropucha class landing ships manage to escape.

The North Koreans

So no one should have expected them to sail to Ukraine via Bosporus until after the war. Not even in Ukraine.

The supply of the ex-Royal Navy ships was agreed before the Feb 2022 invasion but the ships were only transferred to Ukraine in 2023 www.gov.uk/government/n...