Ukrainian Special Operations Forces struck a Russian Buyan-M class missile corvette, Grad, in Lake Onega, Karelia, on October 4th, critically damaging its engine compartment and reducing its combat capabilities. The vessel, armed with long-range Kalibr missiles, was reportedly en route from the Baltic Sea to the Caspian Sea, according to United24 Media. Grad, one of Russia’s newest missile ships, was part of efforts to reinforce its southern naval fleet. The strike highlights Ukraine’s continued use of asymmetric tactics to target key Russian assets far from the front lines — sending a clear message: nowhere is safe, and there’s nowhere to hide. They write:
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) have struck a Russian Buyan-M class missile ship named Grad in the internal waters of Karelia, according to the SSO on October 4.
The operation reportedly took place at 04:31 a.m. in Lake Onega—a large inland body of water located within the Republic of Karelia in northwestern Russia. […]
According to Ukrainian military reports, Grad was moving from the Baltic Sea toward the Caspian Sea, likely to reinforce the southern fleet of the Russian Navy. The route crosses Russia’s internal waterways, linking the Baltic and Caspian basins through lakes and canals. […]
The vessel now carries Kh-35 “Uran” anti-ship missiles, new diesel engines, updated radar and electronic warfare systems, and close-in guns—reflecting Moscow’s strategy of modernizing older ships to boost its coastal strike capacity more quickly and cheaply than building new ones.
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