VIDEO: Ukraine takes out Black Sea fleet ship Sergei Kotov

Screen grab from YouTube video

In another bad week for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for its former commander — and video has appeared on YouTube showing the sinking of the Bykov-class patrol ship Sergei Kotov According to Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, the Sergei Kotvov was “damaged by the Magura V5 sea drones on the stern, starboard and left sides.”

U.K. Defence Intelligence notes that these were the same type of sea drone used in a February 24 attack on the Russian landing ship Tsezar Kunikov.

The Sergei Kotov was only commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet in July 2022 and had previously been targeted by Ukrainian USVs in attacks in July and September 2023. After minor repairs, it returned to service after both those attacks.

U.K. Defence Intelligence says that the Sergei Kotov is the third Black Sea Fleet vessel sunk in the past five weeks and that “likely because of Black Sea Fleet losses,” Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov was dismissed from his command February 15.

Sokolov, of course is the Russian admiral who disappointed Ukrainian Special Operations Forces when he showed up alive after they had assessed that he was among those killed in a missile strike on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet on September 22 last year.

ARREST WARRANT

Being out of a job is just one of Sokolov’s problems, yesterday the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of both Sokolov and Russsian Army Lieutenant General Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash for alleged crimes committed from at least October 10, 2022 until at least March 9, 2023.

Each is allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute) and the war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute), and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute. There are reasonable grounds to believe they bear individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes for (i) having committed the acts jointly and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), (ii) ordering the commission of the crimes, and/or (iii) for their failure to exercise proper control over the forces under their command (article 28(a) of the Rome Statute).

• More on that HERE