One of the search and rescue auxiliary ships of Project 22870 from the russian Black Sea Fleet was recorded in the port of Ochamchire in the temporarily occupied part of Georgia between July 3 and July 5, 2024.
This fact is confirmed by corresponding satellite images, marking the first deployment of russian Black Sea Fleet ships at this base. Until this moment, russian occupiers held only Border Guard patrol boats in Ochamchire.
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Naval News has drawn attention to this fact.
The ship is a Project 22870 support ship. It was observed docked in its home port of Novorossiysk on June 28. It was then missing on July 1, and observed in Ochamchire on July 4 and 5.
According to the publication, on July 3, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) conducted an attack on Novorossiysk. Their Magura uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) targeted the pier near where the ship typically docks.
Therefore, Ochamchire could thus offer a politically complicated hiding place from Ukrainian forces.
The publication reports that, although the port is relatively small, it could easily accommodate several larger warships, such as landing ships or frigates. Submarines have been based there in Soviet times.
The characteristics of this Project 22870 search and rescue vessel generally correspond to the specifications of small missile ships of the Project 21631 Buyan-M, which are part of the russian Black Sea Fleet. Let us note that the Ukrainian Navy near Snake Island sank the Vasily Bekh ship, belonging to this project, in June 2022.
Therefore, if the russian occupiers managed to place a large search and rescue vessel in Ochamchire, it means they have the technical capability to also station small missile boats armed with Kalibr missiles in the same harbor. This, in turn, is a symptomatic signal that deserves particular attention.
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