2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Project 1135 Burevestnik / Krivak-class frigate and derivatives in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine's Project 11351/Krivak III-derived frigate Hetman Sahaidachny was scuttled at Mykolaiv in March 2022 while under repair, preventing Russian forces from capturing or reusing the Ukrainian Navy flagship.

Weapon profileProject 1135 Burevestnik / Krivak-class frigate and derivatives
SideUkraineRoleArea DenialSymbolic Weapon
Project 1135 Burevestnik / Krivak-class frigate and derivatives, Anti-submarine frigate family, Naval Systems - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: Project 1135 Ladny 2012 G1.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukraine possessed Hetman Sahaidachny, a Project 11351/Krivak III-derived frigate, during the full-scale invasion.

Sources: Army Recognition Sahaidachny Scuttled, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk

The frigate was under repair or deep modernization at Mykolaiv and was not quickly restorable to combat capability.

Sources: Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk

Ukrainian authorities deliberately flooded the ship in March 2022 so Russian forces could not capture or use it.

Sources: Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk

The local operational context was Russia's renewed advance toward Mykolaiv after taking Kherson.

Sources: ISW March 4 Assessment

Timeline

Project 1135 Burevestnik / Krivak-class frigate and derivatives In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. Imagery shows the Ukrainian flagship partially sunk

    TWZ reported that imagery showed Hetman Sahaidachny partially sunk at Mykolaiv during the first week of the full-scale invasion.

    Sources: TWZ Scuttled Flagship

  2. Ukrainian officials confirm deliberate flooding

    Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrainska Pravda reported Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov's statement that the under-repair frigate was flooded on order so it could not be captured by Russian forces.

    Sources: Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk

  3. Russian forces renew the Mykolaiv-axis advance

    ISW assessed that Russian forces had renewed their ground advance on Mykolaiv after securing Kherson, placing the scuttling in the immediate southern-campaign threat environment.

    Sources: ISW March 4 Assessment

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The Project 1135 family's documented role in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War centers on Hetman Sahaidachny, Ukraine's Project 11351/Nerey, or Krivak III-derived, frigate. On March 4, 2022, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the ship's commander had followed an order to flood the frigate while it was under repair so that it would not fall into Russian hands.

Ukrainska Pravda reported the same day that the Ukrainian Navy public-affairs chief said the frigate was undergoing deep modernization and could not be quickly reassembled or restored to combat capability. TWZ had reported on March 3 that imagery showed the frigate partially sunk at Mykolaiv.

Sources: Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk, TWZ Scuttled Flagship

Timeline

The scuttling came during the opening phase of Russia's full-scale invasion, as Russian forces pushed through southern Ukraine. ISW assessed on March 4, 2022 that Russian forces had renewed their ground advance on Mykolaiv after securing Kherson city, creating the local threat context for denying a non-operational flagship to the advancing force.

The public record separates the frigate's possession and status from combat employment. Sources support that Ukraine possessed the frigate, that it was under repair at Mykolaiv, and that Ukrainian authorities scuttled it to prevent capture; they do not show the ship conducting naval fires or sea-control operations during the full-scale invasion.

Sources: ISW March 4 Assessment, Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk

Narrative

Hetman Sahaidachny was Ukraine's flagship and a derivative of the Soviet Project 1135 line. Army Recognition identified the scuttled ship with the Project 11351/Nerey, or Krivak III, branch, a border-guard patrol derivative of the Krivak family rather than a baseline fleet anti-submarine frigate.

In conflict-use terms, the episode is best recorded as denial of capture and symbolic loss, not as an operational strike or patrol role. The ship's destruction removed a potential trophy and possible material asset from Russian reach while the crew continued service ashore, according to the Ukrainian Navy comment reported by Ukrainska Pravda.

Sources: Army Recognition Sahaidachny Scuttled, Ukrainska Pravda Sahaidachny Sunk, Interfax-Ukraine Reznikov Statement

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Sources