The ship U-811 “Balta” of the Ukrainian naval forces was damaged in the Black Sea near Snake Island due to worsening weather conditions, the press service of the Navy said in Facebook-account.
As noted by the military, an emergency (emergency) occurred due to bad weather, which led to damage to the vessel of the national fleet. “After assessing the situation, it was decided to anchor the ship in order to ensure the implementation of measures to combat damage,” the experts noted.
A search and rescue point was deployed on the spot. Work was established with the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the National Border Service and the State Emergency Service. Eight ships and boats and four aircraft were involved in the rescue operation. “Thanks to the well-coordinated and confident actions of the ship’s crew, the emergency situation was stabilized. There is no threat to the life of personnel. There is no threat of losing the ship, ”added the military.
The fact that the demagnetizing vessel U-811 “Balta” is in distress on Wednesday, October 13, was reported in Facebook Deputy from the European Solidarity faction, Lieutenant General Mikhail Zabrodsky. According to him, the incident took place in the afternoon in the Black Sea near the Serpentine Island.
He noted that the ship had lost its speed, its compartments were flooded. According to the politician, the rescue operation was significantly complicated by weather conditions: the wave height in this area was about two meters, and the wind speed was up to ten meters per second.
The Ukrainian MP added that the U-811 Balta is a small ship. The length of the vessel is less than 70 meters. The total displacement is estimated at two thousand 86 tons.
The main task of “Balta” is to carry out special measures in order to reduce the own magnetic fields of warships and support ships of the Ukrainian navy. The ship, according to the state, has 45 people. The Ukrainian Navy has only one vessel for this purpose.
In January 2021, a Ukrainian dry cargo ship sank in the Black Sea, off the coast of Turkey. The incident took place in the region of Bartin province in the north of the country. The ship’s owner was Arvin Shipping LTD. Four of the 12 crew members were killed. Among those on board were two Russians – Vitaly Galenko and Nikolai Krinov. The rest are citizens of Ukraine.