​A Major Disaster For Russia In Shipyard Attack

Construction is underway at Bollinger Mississippi Repair (formerly VT Halter). After years of delays due to design complexities – specifically adapting the German Polarstern II design – the first vessel, USCGC Polar Sentinel (WMSP-21), is now expected to enter service by May 2030.

The US and Finland are also building a fleet of medium icebreakers. Bollinger & Davie Defense plans to build 7 vessels domestically. Davie Defense recently invested $1 billion to modernize a shipyard in Port Arthur, Texas, to serve as an“American Icebreaker Factory.”

Dealing a significant setback to Russia's arctic ambitions appears to be a significant policy objective of both the US government and its northern NATO partners (i.e., Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany).

The Purga after being hit is listing at 40 degrees and leaning on another ship, the Burilichev. There is near certainty that the Purga is not salvageable even if the Russians had equipment capable of stabilizing and refloating the ship, which they do not. The damage to the Burilichev also appears to be consequential, mostly because most of its sensitive topside instrumentation may have been crushed by the listing Purga, including its cranes.

The Vice-Admiral Burilichev (Project 22011) is an important Russian strategic asset and serves as a spy ship. It is a specialized oceanographic research vessel that played a central role in Russia's“seabed warfare” strategy. While it is officially designated for scientific research, its technical capabilities and institutional affiliation place it at the heart of Russian efforts to monitor and potentially disrupt NATO's undersea infrastructure.

It deploys deep-diving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), specifically the Rus (Project 16810) and Consul (Project 16811). These submersibles can operate at depths of over 6,000 meters. Technology for these submersibles was originally provided by Finland over the objections of the US.

Initial reports, supported by Ukrainian claims, was that damage to the Purga (and secondary damage to the Burilichev) was caused by drones. The Ukrainians also put out that the damage was possibly caused by a modified“sport” aircraft, either an A-22 or E-200, (something like a Cessna 150) carrying a 500kg bomb. Neither claim makes any sense.

While it is true that the Purga was struck during a massive drone attack in the Leningrad region, the Purga was hit near the waterline, suggesting either it was damaged by a UUV (an underwater suicide vehicle), by limpet-type mines or even possibly by an internal blast or sabotage.

On December 19, 1941, the Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS, a six-diver team, led a clandestine raid on the British Mediterranean fleet in Alexandria, Egypt. The Italian team rigged up slow-running torpedoes (Siluro a Lenta Corsa) which they called the Maiale (Pig).

The divers rode the torpedo that was electrically steerable and manned each by two divers wearing wetsuits. They carried a 300 kg warhead that they clamped onto the ships under attack. Two divers, Luigi Durand de la Penne and Emilio Bianchi attacked the HMS Valiant. They had been transported near Alexandra harbor by submarine.

De La Penne was captured. He waited until near the time of the planned detonation to warn the British captain, who evacuated the battleship saving countless lives. The British wanted to give him an award, but after his release and return to Italy, he was hailed as a hero.

Two other divers, Antonio Marceglia and Spartaco Schergat, placed their charge near the engine room of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, leading to massive flooding. Divers Vincenzo Martelotta and Mario Marino, attacked the tanker Sagona. They managed to disable the tanker and a nearby destroyer.

In an interesting footnote, the British tried to deceive the Italians and Germans by pretending the damaged and useless ships still functioned. Admiral Andrew Cunningham ordered the ships to maintain their usual routines in port, flags flying and bands playing, to look as if they were still operational (even though they were half sunk).

The photos show that the hull of the Purga and its white superstructure are unaffected by whatever hit the ship. There is no large visible entry hole or black soot typical of a fire. The fact that the ship is listing at 40 degrees suggests a ship that has lost its center of gravity due to a massive underwater“weight” typical of a compartment that has filled with water.

The first photo was from a Ukrainian-aligned Telegram channel called Exilenova+. It is a grainy, wide angle shot taken from the shipyard side. It is believed to have been taken by a local resident or an insider at the shipyard and sent to the channel to confirm the hit.