Russian ship Liman

Liman (Russian: Лиман) was a Russian naval intelligence vessel that sunk after a collision in 2017 which resulted in no casualties.

Sister ship Cheleken
History
NameLiman
NamesakeLiman, a type of estuary prevalent in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov
Operator
BuilderStocznia Polnocna
Launched1970
FateSank 27 April 2017
General characteristics
Class and typeModified Moma-class survey ship
TypeSpy ship
Displacement1,542 tons full load
Length73.32 m (240 ft 7 in)
Beam10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught3.85 m (12 ft 8 in)
Installed power2 × Zgoda-Sulzer diesel engines, 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) each
Speed17.3 knots (32.0 km/h)
Crew78
Armament16 × Strela-2 surface to air missiles

Description

The ship was 73.32 metres (240 ft 7 in) long, with a beam of 10.80 metres (35 ft 5 in) and a draught of 3.85 metres (12 ft 8 in). It displaced 1,542 tons at full load. The vessel was propelled by two Zgoda-Sulzer 6TD-48 diesel engines, rated at 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW) each. The ship had a speed of 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h). Armament was sixteen Strela-2 surface-to-air missiles.[1]

History

The ship was built in 1970 by Stocznia Polnocna, Gdańsk as a hydrographic survey vessel and converted to military use in 1989.[1][2] It was outfitted for signals intelligence (SIGINT) purposes.[2] It initially served with the Northern Fleet and was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet in 1974.[3] In April 1999, Liman was deployed in the Adriatic Sea at the request of Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević to monitor NATO operations against Yugoslavia.[4][5] It also saw service during the Russian intervention in the Syrian Civil War.[6]

Sinking
Youzarsif H in 2015

On 27 April 2017, the vessel sank in the Black Sea following a collision with Youzarsif H, a Togo-flagged livestock freighter which was heading to Jordan from Romania.[2][7] The location of the collision was 29 kilometres (16 nmi) off Kilyos.[3][8] The route of the Russian ship was not known. However, in February, military sources indicated that Liman was observing NATO's naval maneuvers in the Black Sea during exercise Sea Shield.[9][10] At the time it sank, the ship carried a crew of 78, all of whom were rescued.[7] Later all crew were transferred to the Russian cargo ship Ulus Star.[11] Youzarsif H proceeded to return to the Port of Midia, Romania due to concerns about the welfare of the livestock she was carrying.[12] Once at the port, the transported sheep were transferred to another vessel. After damage checks, it was established that the cargo ship only suffered minor damages to the bow.[13]

On 3 May, Russia sent the rescue ships SB-739 and Seliger to the area where Liman sank to try to salvage sensitive equipment from the ship or even raise the vessel, which sank in international waters.[12]

References
  1. "Intelligence Ship "Liman"". KCHF. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  2. Fahim, Kareem; Roth, Andrew (27 April 2017). "Russian navy intelligence ship sinks after collision with freighter off Turkish coast". The Washington Post.
  3. "Russian spy ship Liman sinks off Turkey after collision with freighter". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  4. "World: Europe. Milosevic's weapons plea". BBC News. 2 April 1999. Retrieved 27 April 2017. Mr Ivanov has also been explaining the decision to send the Liman warship to from its Black Sea base to the Mediterranean. He said it was "in the interest of Russian security only". The Liman left the Black Sea port of Sevastapol on Friday and is expected to reach the Mediterranean on Saturday.
  5. Felkay, Andrew (2002). Yeltsin's Russia and the West. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 201. ISBN 9780275965389.
  6. Gallagher, Simon (28 April 2017). "Russian spy ship sunk by sheep barge; sheep (and sailors) unhurt". Arstechnica. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  7. Kingsley, Patrick (27 April 2017). "78 Rescued as Russian Naval Ship Sinks After Collision". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  8. "Russian naval ship, cargo vessel collide off Istanbul coast, all soldiers rescued". Hurriyet Daily News. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017. The collision was caused due to fog and low visibility, the Turkish shipping agency GAC said. It occurred 29 kilometres (16 nmi) from the Istanbul town of Kilyos on the Black Sea coast just north of Istanbul.
  9. Sorin Dragomir (24 April 2017). "O navă militară rusă s-a ciocnit cu un vapor de tip cargo în apropiere de Istanbul". Europafm.ro (in Romanian).
  10. "Nava ruseasca de spionaj Liman din flota Marii Negre s-a scufundat dupa ce s-a ciocnit cu alta nava". HotNews (in Romanian). 27 April 2017.
  11. "Средний разведывательный корабль "Лиман"" [Medium reconnaissance ship "Liman"] (in Russian). KCHF. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  12. "Special teams and salvage ships deployed to accident site off Kilyos". Sea News. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  13. "Vasul care a scufundat nava rusă de spionaj a revenit în Portul Midia. Oile vor fi urcate pe alt vas și retrimise la destinație". Profit.ro (in Romanian). 28 April 2017.
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