Explosions rock Russian port of Tuapse, military ship Petr Morgunov suspected target
Significant smoke has been detected at a port in Russia's Krasnodar region, following reports of explosions. It is suspected that a military vessel may have been struck at the Russian port. The incident occurred in the port of Tuapse during the early hours of November 29, with smoke detected after the blasts. The large landing ship "Petr Morgunov" is believed to be the potential target of the attack, according to the Telegram channel "Crimean Wind."
Reports indicate that the smoke originates from one of the docks, possibly hinting at a vessel being targeted. Concurrently, local social media accounts reported an "attack by drones," initially stating there were 20, all of which were "shot down." Images circulating online show the Tuapse port in Krasnodar Territory with noticeable smoke over one of the docks.
This dock at Tuapse is equipped with cranes for loading civilian ships. However, satellite images from SantinelHub dated November 20 revealed a vessel measuring 135 meters was docked there, possibly a large landing ship. "This aligns with the class of Russian military ships, the Ivan Gren-class landing ships. Currently, there is one such ship in the Black Sea, the 'Petr Morgunov' from the Russian Northern Fleet," according to the report.
The "Petr Morgunov" arrived in February 2022 to bolster Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and had been primarily based at Novorossiysk port.
The "Petr Morgunov" is among the latest additions to Russia’s naval forces, having joined the fleet in January 2020 after being launched in 2018 and constructed at the Yantar Plant in Kaliningrad. It has a crew of approximately 100 sailors and officers.