Movement of the Rostov-na-Donu attack submarine has been recorded in russian-occupied Crimea, Ukraine. This submarine, belonging to Project 636.3 Varshavyanka (known as improved Kilo–class in NATO) was taken out of the dry dock of the Sevastopol Marine Plant and relocated to Kilen Bay where the 13th Ship Repair Plant is.
The activity was spotted by Naval News based on satellite imagery analysis. The author notes that it took a long time for the russians to bring the submarine back to a shape allowing for a safe launch into the water.
Read more: Photos That Appeared on Network Show That the Rostov-na-Donu Submarine Damaged by the Ukrainians is Unlikely to Be Restored
"The submarine has been hidden deeper in the port. The fact that it is still in a dock reinforces the assessment that she is not seaworthy," Naval News analyst H I Sutton writes.
On a note from Defense Express, these facts also speak to the scale of damage inflicted to the Rostov-na-Donu during the missile strike on September 13th, 2023. It became the first time in history that a submarine is taken out by a cruise missile, later confirmed to be hit by Storm Shadow / SCALP-EG LACMs specifically.
For a reminder, late January 2024, russian media reported citing authorities in russia's defense industry that Rostov-na-Donu would be repaired by mid-2024. The main contractor in the repairs is the 13th Ship Repair Plant which has only received the damaged vessel just now. At this point, it is unclear whether the main part of the repair process is only beginning or it has entered the final phase with performance tests coming soon.
No less important is that by leaving the dry dock at Sevastopol Marine Plant, the spot is now open to accept other ships for repairs and maintenance. Half a year earlier, in early December 2023, another dry dock at this facility was freed from the Minsk landing ship, achieved by cutting the entire superstructure off this battleship.
Back to the submarine, regardless of the state of repairs the location of Rostov-na-Donu is well known and monitored, its condition doesn't allow for a regular change of position. Therefore, this submarine remains a convenient target for further strikes. Compared to the previous time, Ukraine now also can hit Rostov-na-Donu with an ATACMS ballistic missile.
After all, the Ukrainian Armed Forces already have a unique experience of destroying surface ships with ballistic missiles, particularly, Tsiklon missile corvette which was sunk as a result of the ballistic attack on a bay in Sevastopol on the night of May 19th. That leaves Rostov-na-Donu with every chance to enter history twice and become the first submarine to be sunk by a ballistic missile.
Still, there is a possibility that the russian forces will try to withdraw Rostov-na-Donu from Crimea altogether and transfer it to Novorossiysk. In particular, this could explain the strange maneuvers of the Black Sea Fleet recently.
Read more: What is the Real Reason Why russia Relocates Missile-Carrying Submarines to Crimea
