Direct proof of use
Russian Project 11770 Serna-class landing craft were documented in Russian Black Sea operations during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence later listed a Serna-class craft destroyed near Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, on 2022-05-07 while it was attempting to deliver a Tor surface-to-air missile system to the island.
Naval News reported at the time that a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 struck a Russian Navy Project 11770 Serna-class landing craft at Snake Island and that the footage indicated a Tor air-defense system was aboard. RFE/RL likewise reported Ukrainian military statements that a Bayraktar-launched strike destroyed a Serna-type landing craft near Snake Island, while noting that immediate independent confirmation was not available.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Black Sea Fleet losses, Naval News TB2 strike on Serna, RFE/RL Snake Island Serna report
Timeline
The first dated Serna-class incident in the cataloged conflict record is the Snake Island strike on 2022-05-07, during Ukraine's campaign against Russian forces and logistics around the island. Ukrainian MoD described the craft as carrying a Tor air-defense system, linking the landing craft's role to reinforcement and air-defense logistics rather than a beach assault.
A second documented incident followed on 2023-11-10 near Vuzka Bay in occupied Crimea. Ukraine's Defence Intelligence said additional reconnaissance showed that one Project 1176 Akula craft and one Project 11770 Serna craft sank after a surface-drone attack; Ukraine's MoD later summarized the same strike as a USV attack on one Serna-class and one Akula-class landing craft at a pier.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Black Sea Fleet losses, Ukraine DIU Vuzka Bay sinking, Defense Express Crimea landing craft report
Narrative
The documented use pattern is tactical maritime transport. KCHF describes Project 11770 as an air-cavity fast landing craft designed to land tracked and wheeled military vehicles, cargo, and assault units, with capacity for one main battle tank, two BTR armored vehicles, 92 troops, or 50 tons of cargo. In the Black Sea conflict record, the craft appears as a high-speed logistics carrier moving air-defense and armored-vehicle payloads around exposed Russian-held positions.
At Snake Island, the Serna was reported as carrying a Tor system in support of Russian air-defense coverage on the island. At Vuzka Bay, Defense Express reported that the attacked Serna-class landing craft were carrying crew and armored vehicles including BTR-82 armored personnel carriers, while Ukraine's Defence Intelligence identified the destroyed newer craft as Project 11770 Serna. These sources support Russian use of the class for transport and reinforcement missions, and they document losses caused by Ukrainian unmanned systems.
Sources: KCHF Project 11770 Serna class, Ukraine MoD Black Sea Fleet losses, Ukraine DIU Vuzka Bay sinking, Defense Express Crimea landing craft report
