Russia's new $300m Rostov-on-Don submarine, which carries Kalibr missiles, could have been hit by Storm Shadow or SCALP EG cruise missiles

On the night of September 13, 2023, a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol was attacked. The Ukrainian Air Force hinted that the strike was carried out by aircraft.

Here's What We Know

Russian authorities have officially stated that the air defence system intercepted 7 out of 10 cruise missiles. As a result, the Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don submarine were hit. The latter was launched less than 10 years ago and is a carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, and its construction cost about $300 million.

Meanwhile, Ukraine officially hinted that the strike was carried out by aircraft. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, thanked Ukrainian pilots for their work.

At the moment, the Ukrainian Defence Forces have only two air-launched cruise missiles in service that could reach the Sevastopol plant. These are the British Storm Shadow and the French analogue SCALP EG. Ukraine is rumoured to have received export versions of these missiles, with a maximum launch range of no more than 300km.

Initially, the main version was the use of the Ukrainian-made Neptun anti-ship cruise missile. It was modified to hit ground targets and recently destroyed the launcher of the expensive S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system.