Project 1239 Sivuch, better known as the Bora class, is a Soviet-designed Russian Navy surface-effect guided-missile corvette family built at Zelenodolsk for high-speed coastal defense. The two-ship class combines catamaran, hydrofoil, and air-cushion features and carries Moskit anti-ship missiles plus an Osa-MA point-defense missile system.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet ship Samum was reported struck by a Ukrainian Sea Baby unmanned surface vessel while entering Sevastopol Bay on 14 September 2023; Ukrainian-source reporting said the vessel was damaged, while Russia said it destroyed the attacking naval drone.
Role detailsProject 1239 is described as a sidewall air-cushion missile ship: a catamaran-style hull rides with an air-cushion assist at high speed while retaining enough seaworthiness to use weapons in rough coastal conditions.
| Feature | Sourced detail | Operational effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hull and lift concept | Catamaran, hydrofoil, and air-cushion features developed by Almaz for a high-speed small missile ship. | Lets a roughly 1,000-ton corvette reach 50-knot-class speeds for coastal-defense and surface-strike missions. |
| Main strike battery | Two four-cell launchers for P-100 Moskit anti-ship missiles. | Gives the class a heavy anti-ship salvo despite its small-ship displacement. |
| Point defense | Osa-MA2 launcher with 9M33-family missiles, plus AK-176M and AK-630 gun systems. | Provides short-range air-defense and close-in self-protection around the missile battery. |
The published Project 1239 record covers the two completed Sivuch/Bora-class ships rather than separate subvariants.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bora (ex-Sivuch) | Lead Project 1239 ship | Built at Zelenodolsk, commissioned on 30 December 1989 as Sivuch, and renamed Bora on 18 March 1992. Sources: Kchf.ru: Missile Corvette Bora - Project 1239 / Bora class, RussianShips.info: Air Cushion Missile Ship Project 1239 |
| Samum | Second Project 1239 ship | Launched in 1992, commissioned on 26 February 2000, and listed by RussianShips.info as transferred from the Baltic Fleet to the Black Sea Fleet in July 2002. Sources: RussianShips.info: Air Cushion Missile Ship Project 1239 |
Project 1239 ships combine an anti-ship missile battery with a short-range shipborne air-defense launcher.
| Launched item | Item type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Osa-MA surface-to-air missile family | RussianShips.info lists a ZIF-122 Osa-MA2 launcher with 20 9M33-family missiles as part of the Project 1239 armament. Sources: RussianShips.info: Air Cushion Missile Ship Project 1239 |
Kchf.ru says the lead ship Bora was commissioned on 30 December 1989 after being built at Zelenodolsk.
Sources: Kchf.ru: Missile Corvette Bora - Project 1239 / Bora class
Kchf.ru notes that the lead ship was renamed Bora on 18 March 1992 after entering Soviet service as Sivuch.
Sources: Kchf.ru: Missile Corvette Bora - Project 1239 / Bora class
RussianShips.info lists Samum as the second completed Project 1239 ship and gives 26 February 2000 as its commissioning date.
Sources: RussianShips.info: Air Cushion Missile Ship Project 1239
RussianShips.info lists Samum in Baltic Fleet service before its transfer to the Black Sea Fleet on 25 July 2002.
Sources: RussianShips.info: Air Cushion Missile Ship Project 1239
The Kyiv Independent reported that Ukrainian SBU sources described a Sea Baby strike on Samum as it entered Sevastopol Bay; the same report noted Russia's claim that it destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone attacking the hovercraft.
Sources: Kyiv Independent: Ukraine hits Russian missile-carrying ship with sea drone, Al Jazeera: Ukraine strikes Russian ships, state-of-the-art aerial defences in Crimea
