russia Building New Project 22160 Patrol Corvette to Replace Sunken Sergey Kotov Ship
Photographs have appeared in open access showing that the russians are transporting the Project 22160 Viktor Velikiy patrol ship from Zelenodolsk shipyard to Saint Petersburg via their internal waterways for completion and trials. The ship was laid down in 2016 but was launched for further construction only in May 2024.
Photos show that the ship’s propellers were dismantled to reduce its draft, the mast with the Pozitiv-M radar was removed for better clearance under bridges, and pontoons were welded on for transportation.
The issue is that the Viktor Velikiy patrol ship, shown in these photos, is intended for the russian Black Sea Fleet. If the enemy can transport this vessel through their internal waterways, it indicates that after completion and trials, this corvette can easily be moved to the waters of the Sea of Azov or the Black Sea to be used in the war against Ukraine.
Moreover, the russians are completing a patrol ship identical to the Sergey Kotov patrol ship, that was sunk on March 5, 2024, by Ukrainian naval kamikaze drones attack near the Crimean Bridge.
Viktor Veliky has become the fifth ship of this series, and in 2025, the sixth ship of Project 22160, named Nikolay Sipyagin, is scheduled to be launched.
Thus, it turns out that the russians are making efforts to restore losses in their Black Sea Fleet incurred in the war against Ukraine, despite their own limited capabilities.
Here are the characteristics of the Project 22160 patrol ships:
- Displacement and hull length: 1800 tons and 94 meters respectively.
- Crew: from 28 to 80 persons.
- Range and endurance: up to 6000 miles and 60 days.
- Armament: one 76mm artillery mount, two 14.5mm machine guns, several MANPADS, and a platform for one Ka-27 or Ka-52 helicopter.
