Ukrainian reconnaissance ship Simferopol
 Simferopol at launch
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Ukraine | |
| Name | Simferopol |
| Namesake | U543 Simferopol |
| Owner | Ukraine |
| Operator | Ukrainian Navy |
| Ordered | 2019 |
| Builder | Kuznya na Rybalskomu |
| Launched | 23 April 2019 |
| Status | Sunk after a Russian naval drone strike in the delta of the Danube River on 28 August 2025 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 54.8 m (179 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) |
| Draught | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power | 1 auxiliary diesel generator 853kWt |
| Speed | 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) |
| Range |
|
| Boats & landing craft carried | At least one rigid lifeboat. |
| Crew | 29 |
| Armament | АК-306 artillery system |
Simferopol (Ukrainian: Сімферополь) was a medium reconnaissance ship of the Ukrainian Navy that was originally built at the Kuznia na Rybalskomu (previously Leninska Kuznya) shipbuilding plant. The reconnaissance ship, built under the project Laguna, used the hull of the Project 502EM trawler.
Development and design
The Deputy Commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine announced the construction of a new ship for the Ukrainian Navy during an interview for one of the Odesa TV channels in March 2017. The Ukrainian shipbuilder PSC Kuznia na Rybalskomu was specified as the lead manufacturer.[1] It was built using an unfinished hull of the Project 502EM trawler.[2][3]
Kuznia na Rybalskomu launched the new medium reconnaissance ship on 23 April 2019.[4]
In October 2019, the ship was loaded into a floating dock and delivered by inland waterways from Kyiv to Odessa.[5][6] Since January 2020, it had been undergoing factory tests in the Black Sea near Odessa.[7]
In December 2020, it was named "Simferopol" - in honor of the U543 Simferopol. The National Industrial Portal UProm.info stated:
The decision to give the new reconnaissance ship such a name expresses the connection between generations of ships of this class in the Ukrainian Navy, serves to support and symbolize Crimea's affiliation with Ukraine, and is a sign of support for the captain of the Simferopol project 861, who is oppressed by Crimean occupation authorities.[8]
In particular, various antennas were installed during the works, namely the Melchior radio intelligence station and other systems.
Sinking
On 28 August 2025, the Russian defence ministry stated that Simferopol was sunk after a naval drone strike in the delta of the Danube River, with the Ukrainian navy stating that the attack killed two crew members and left several others injured or missing.[9]
See also
45°25′03″N 29°30′32″E / 45.41750°N 29.50889°E
References
- ^ "A new reinforcement for the Ukrainian Navy: New ship launched |". April 23, 2019.
- ^ "Військово-морські сили України отримають середній розвідувальний корабель". mil.in.ua. Український мілітарний портал. 2017-10-13. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- ^ "Поповнення для ВМС України: на воду спускають новий корабель". Український мілітарний портал. 2019-04-23. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Ukraine launches new reconnaissance ship in Kyiv". Naval Today.
- ^ "До Одеси транспортують майбутній розвідник ВМС". mil.in.ua. Український мілітарний портал. 2019-10-08. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "Russian-Ukrainian War on Instagram: "Recently, an unfinished middle-sized reconnaissance ship of the Laguna project was launched in Kherson, after which it made a crossing of…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Новий корабель радіотехнічної розвідки ВМСУ вийшов у море". Ukrainian Military Pages. 2020-08-30. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ "Новий розвідувальний корабель ВМС України отримав назву «Сімферополь»". December 26, 2020. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Denisova, Kateryna. "Russia hits Ukrainian vessel, killing 2 crew members, injuring others, Navy says". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 2025-08-28.