Gyurza-M-class gunboat

U175 Berdiansk in the Black Sea near Odesa
Class overview
NameProject 58155 (Gyurza-M class)
BuildersKuznia na Rybalskomu
Operators Ukraine
Preceded byGyurza-class gunboat
SubclassesCentaur-class fast assault craft
Built2012–present
In commission2016–present
Planned20 (originally)[a]
Completed8[1][2]
Active4 with Ukrainian Navy (including 1 damaged); 4 captured by Russia
General characteristics
Displacement54 tons
Length23.0 m (75 ft 6 in)
Beam4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Draught1.0 m (3 ft 3 in)
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range900 miles (12 knots)
Complement5
Armament2 × BM-5M.01 Katran-M CIWS

The Project 58155 Gyurza-M class is a series of small armored gunboats in service with the Ukrainian Navy. The first two vessels were laid down at the Kuznia na Rybalskomu (previously Leninska Kuznia) shipbuilding plant in October 2012.[3] Originally it was planned to build nine such vessels by 2017. In December 2013 the Ministry of Defence withdrew its contract. The class is named after the Levant viper, Гюрза, Hiurza, in Ukrainian.

In mid-2014 construction of the Gyurza-M class was revived and the first two vessels were launched in late 2015.[4] In December 2016 they officially joined the Ukrainian Navy.[5] The new military contract for twenty vessels was to be completed by 2020.[5][needs update]

Development and design

The modernized Project 58155 Gurza-M for the Ukrainian Navy started to be built at the Leninska Kuznia in October 2012.[6] Originally it was planned to build nine such vessels by 2017. In December 2013 the Ministry of Defense withdrew its contract.

In summer of 2014 construction of Gurza-M was revived and the first two vessels were expected to be completed in fall of 2015.[7] In December 2016 the first two Gurza-M officially joined the Ukrainian Navy.[5] The new military contract is for 20 vessels that should be completed by 2020.[5]

Vessels

Name Pennant number Producer Hull number Laid down Launched

Commissioned

Fleet Homeport Status
BK-01 Akkerman P174
(U174) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01023 25 October 2012[8] 11 November 2015 6 December 2016[9][10] Formerly Ukrainian Navy Western Naval Base Captured by Russia.[11][12]
BK-02 Berdiansk P175
(U175) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01024[13] 25 October 2012[8] 11 November 2015 6 December 2016[9][10] Ukrainian Navy Azov Naval Base Active in service
BK-03 Nikopol P176
(U176) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01028 7 April 2016[14] 20 June 2017 1 July 2018[15] Ukrainian Navy Azov Naval Base Active in service
BK-04 Kremenchuk P177
(U177) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01029 7 April 2016[14] 30 June 2017 1 July 2018[15] Ukrainian Navy Azov Naval Base Captured by Russia.[12]
BK-05 Lubny P178
(U178) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01030 7 April 2016[14] 29 June 2017[16][17] 1 July 2018[15] Ukrainian Navy Azov Naval Base Sunk, and subsequently raised, by Russian forces during the Siege of Mariupol.[18][19]
BK-06 Vyshhorod P179
(U179) 		Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01031 7 April 2016[14] 24 June 2017 1 July 2018[15] Ukrainian Navy Western Naval Base Captured by Russia.[12]
BK-07 Kostopil P180 Kuznia na Rybalskomu 2018 2 April 2019 6 September 2020 Ukrainian Navy To be assigned Active
BK-08 Bucha P181 Kuznia na Rybalskomu 01036 8 February 2019 30 September 2021 26 May 2023 Ukrainian Navy To be assigned Active[20]

Operators

 Ukraine
Ukrainian Navy: As of May 2023, 4 active; 3 captured by Russia; 1 sunk and then raised by Russia. Previously, 2 ships of the class were captured by Russia and returned in 2018, were repaired and returned to active service in 2020.[21] On 4 November 2022, a Gyurza-M-class gunboat of the Ukrainian Navy was damaged by a Lancet drone. The attack was recorded on video by another UAV.[22]
 Russia
Russian Navy: 3 captured complete in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11][12] 1 sunk and then raised in May of 2022.[18][19] BK-01 was renamed "Marauder" after an 1878 ship of the Russian Navy, and was rearmed with 2 2M-3 turrets, replacing the BM-5M systems which were put on display with other captured equipment.[23]

Incidents

Kerch Strait incident

Main article: Kerch Strait incident

On 25 November 2018, two Ukrainian Gyurza-M-class boats, Berdyansk and Nikopol were seized by the Russian Navy. They were captured while they tried to cross the Kerch Strait en route to Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov. During the incident, three Ukrainian crew members were injured.[24][25] The ships were returned on 18 November 2019, but Ukraine accused Russia of returning them in sub-par condition.[26]

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Main article: Southern Ukraine offensive

Following the capture of Berdiansk by Russian forces, P 179-Vyshhorod and P 174-Akkerman were captured by Russian forces.[27][28][29] Russian forces captured another two craft, P-177 Kremenchuk and P-178 Lubny, during the Siege of Mariupol.[29][30][31]

On 4 November 2022, a Gyurza-M-class gunboat of the Ukrainian Navy was damaged by a ZALA Lancet drone, the first time a Lancet attacked a naval target during the war.[32]

On 28 December 2023, P-181 Bucha is reported to be part of Kyiv air defences.[33]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Reduced to 8.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Малий броньований артилерійський катер проекту 58155, шифр "МБАК" (Гюрза-М)" [Small armored artillery boat project 58155, code "MBAK" (Gyurza-M)]. Ukr military. Sep 2015.
  2. ^ "У Києві спустили восьмий бронекатер проєкту "МБАК"" [The eighth armored boat of the MBAK project was launched in Kyiv]. Ukr military. Sep 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "Украина завершает создание речного военного флота" [Ukraine completes the creation of a river fleet]. Agency of Strategic Research. 3 January 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  4. ^ "На столичном заводе ударными темпами делают бронекатеры для одесского речного дивизиона ВМСУ" [At the capital plant, armored boats for the Odesa river division of the Naval Forces]. Dumskaya. 3 February 2015. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d "Year of Ukrainian arms: smashing "Thunder" and "Missile Shield"". UNIAN. 8 January 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Украина завершает создание речного военного флота" [Ukraine is completing creation of the River battle fleet]. ASD-inform (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  7. ^ "На столичном заводе ударными темпами делают бронекатеры для одесского речного дивизиона ВМСУ" [At the capital city factory in shocking pace are being built armored boats for the Odesa river division of Ukrainian Navy.]. dumskaya.net. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  8. ^ a b "Закладка бронекатеров "Гюрза-М" для ВМС Украины" [Armored "Gyurza-M" for the Ukrainian Navy]. bmpd.livejournal.com. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2018. [unreliable source?]
  9. ^ a b "Бронекатера "Аккерман" и "Бердянск" вошли в состав Военно-морских сил Украины" [Armored boats "Akkerman" and "Berdyansk" became part of the Naval Forces of Ukraine]. dumskaya.net (in Russian). 6 December 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Українським ВМС в Одесі передали нові броньовані катери" [The Ukrainian Navy in Odesa transferred new armored boats]. zaxid.net. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Analysis: Russian Armed Forces capture dozen Ukrainian ships in Berdyansk". Archived from the original on 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  12. ^ a b c d "ВМС України втратили у Маріуполі корабель управління "Донбас" та МБАК "Кременчук"". Ukrainian MOD (in Ukrainian). 16 April 2022.
  13. ^ Закладная табличка бронекатера «БК-02»
  14. ^ a b c d "Закладено чотири броньовані артилерійські катери для Військово-Морських Сил". Ukrainian Military Pages. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d "Бронекатери "Вишгород", "Кременчук", "Лубни" та "Нікополь" включено до корабельного складу ВМС". www.ukrmilitary.com. Ukrainian Military Pages. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  16. ^ "Відбувся урочистий спуск на воду чергового бронекатеру проекту 58155". Ukrainian military portal. 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  17. ^ "Ще один новозбудований катер для Військово-Морських Сил типу "Гюрза-М" спущено на воду". Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  18. ^ a b "In the seaport of Mariupol, the Ukrainian artillery boat BK-05 "Lubny" was raised from the bottom". 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  19. ^ a b "A warship was destroyed in the port of Mariupol". 15 May 2022.
  20. ^ https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1662137771308486658 [bare URL]
  21. ^ Hristoforov, Vladislav (1 July 2018). "New Army: Four Artillery Boats "Gyurza-M" (video) were accepted into the Naval Forces of Ukraine". uprom. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Russian loitering munition Lancet hits Ukrainian Gyurza M class gunboat for first time". navyrecognition.com. 4 November 2022.
  23. ^ "A former artillery boat of the Ukrainian Navy, captured in Berdyansk in 2022, was named after the Russian clipper". vpk.name (in Russian). 2 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  24. ^ Osborn, Andrew; Polityuk, Pavel (25 November 2018). "Russia seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea after firing on them". Reuters. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Russia's 'Don' coast guard ship rams Ukrainian tugboat amid transfer from Odesa to Mariupol (video)". UNIAN. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Russia returns Ukraine ships 'stripped of toilets'". BBC. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  27. ^ "Analysis: Russian Armed Forces capture dozen Ukrainian ships in Berdyansk". Navy Recognition. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Russia shows off captured navy boats". BBC. 14 March 2022. Russian state TV has shown what it says are Ukrainian navy boats being disarmed in the captured port of Berdyansk. The fast patrol boats Akkerman and Vyshhorod were abandoned along with a tug called Korets, the defence ministry channel Zvezda reported. Russian forces captured Berdyansk two weeks ago, on the Sea of Azov. It lies between Crimea and the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
  29. ^ a b "ВМС України втратили у Маріуполі корабель управління "Донбас" та МБАК "Кременчук"" [Ukrainian Navy loses Donbas control ship and Kremenchuk MBAK in Mariupol] (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian MOD. 16 April 2022.
  30. ^ "In the seaport of Mariupol, the Ukrainian artillery boat BK-05 "Lubny" was raised from the bottom". NY dolls. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  31. ^ "У Маріуполі показали пошкоджений МБАК "Лубни"". Mil (in Ukrainian). 16 May 2022.
  32. ^ "Russian loitering munition Lancet hits Ukrainian Gyurza M class gunboat for first time". navyrecognition.com. 4 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Door deze schepen blijft de lucht boven Kyiv (vooralsnog) vrij van drones". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2024-01-05.