Russian ship Liman
Russian naval intelligence vessel that sunk after a collision
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liman (Russian: Лиман) was a Russian naval intelligence vessel that sunk after a collision in 2017 which resulted in no casualties.
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Soviet Navy (1970–1991)
Russian Navy (1991–2017)
Liman docked at Sevastopol in 2013 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Liman |
| Namesake | Liman, a type of estuary prevalent in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | Stocznia Polnocna |
| Launched | 1970 |
| Fate | Sank 27 April 2017 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Modified Moma-class survey ship |
| Type | Spy ship |
| Displacement | 1,542 tons full load |
| Length | 73.32 m (240 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 3.85 m (12 ft 8 in) |
| Installed power | 2 × Zgoda-Sulzer diesel engines, 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) each |
| Speed | 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h) |
| Crew | 78 |
| Armament | 16 × 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
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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]