PLEASE read this entirely before
purchasing
Built
as a deep-sea minesweeper of Project 266M by the Srednenevsky SBZ, Leningrad,
USSR for the Soviet Russian Navy.
1976 launched as the C-950 RAZVEDCHIK (scout) one
of the Natya-class.
Displacement: 735 tons standard, 790 tons full
load. Dim. 61.2 x 10.2 x 3.45m. (draught).
Propulsion by two M-503B diesel engines, 5,000 hp,
speed 17 knots, 2 diesel generators
DG-200, DG-100 - 300 kW. Two fixed pitch
propellers. Speed economical 12 knots.
Range 1500 miles by a speed of 12 knots.
Carried provision for 10 days.
Armament: 2 – 2 30-mm AK-230M, 2000 shots. 2 –
2.25-mm 2M-3M, 2000 shots.
Torpedo and mine weapons 2x5 252-mm RBU-1200
(30 RGB-12),
trawls BKT, TEM-3, AT-3, Sh-3 or other,
10 GB minesweeper or sea mines. 32 depth charges.
Anti-aircraft weapons 2x4 PU MANPADS MTU-4
"Arrow-3"
(20 missiles 9K32)
Crew: 68 people, including 6 officers.
10 June 1977 commissioned, a unit of the Soviet
Black Sea Fleet.
History of the ship
The marine minesweeper with serial number C-950
was laid in the yard of the Srednenevsky Shipyard, in 1975. Launched a year
later. Enlisted in the lists of ships of the USSR Navy on June 10, 1977. By
order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, she was enlisted as a unit of the
Black Sea Fleet.
She has repeatedly participated in combat actions
in the Persian Gulf, the Suez Canal, the Red and Mediterranean Seas. She went
to military service in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. During the period from
January to August 1990, the reconnaissance unit repeatedly carried out combat
trawling of mine-prone areas of the Red Sea. He conducted 29 trawls and
escorted convoys of civilian vessels in the Red Sea, conducting 52 vessels. Of
these, 11 convoys were conducted under rocket-propelled grenades from Eritrean
- occupied islands.
On May 14, 1990, the RAZVEDCHIK, commanded by
Lieutenant Captain Viktor Nosenko, escorted a tanker in International waters in
the Red Sea. The tanker was attacked by four boats equipped with 106-mm
artillery. Sailors of the minesweeper opened a barrage of fire from the stern
25-mm AU 2M-3M and two 12.7-mm NSVT "Cliff", mounted on the rear of
the bridge, as well as machine gunfire. The battle lasted eight minutes. One
enemy boat was destroyed. One of the machine gunners who fired from the NSVT
was wounded. According to the results of combat services, 17 members of the
ship's crew were awarded orders and medals, and the ship itself was awarded the
Pennant of the USSR Ministry of Defense "For Courage".
On July 25, 1997, she became a unit of the
Ukrainian Navy, where she was renamed "CHERKASY" in honor of the
Ukrainian city of the same name with the pennant number U311. The ship has
repeatedly participated in various international exercises, meetings-campaigns
of ships of the Ukrainian Navy, activations of the BlackBeavor Black Sea Fleet.
The ship was based at the Novoozerne base.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she was on
Lake Donuzlav. On March 6, 2014, two Russian ships, OCHAKOV and SHAKHTAR, were
sunk at the exit from Donuzlav Bay, another ship was sunk on March 7, and a
fourth decommissioned ship was sunk on March 13. Thus, a barricade was created,
blocking the exit from the bay to the ships of the Ukrainian Navy. After the
beginning of the temporary annexation of Crimea On March 20, the Russian
military issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military to join Russia. On March
21, two officers, one midshipman, and nine personnel were discharged. The
ship's crew refused to comply with the demands of the Russian military and made
an attempt to escape from Donuzlav to the song "The enemy does not give up
our proud" VARYAG. However, the attempt was unsuccessful and the ship
anchored so as not to run aground. After that, the ship began to hold a
circular defense. On March 23, the crew made another attempt to break through
the blockade. The ship tried to pass between two sunken Russian ships. CHERKASY
almost succeeded, but a Russian boat approached them and hit them in the side.
After that, the bow of the "CHERKASY" was stranded On March 24, after
the capture of the KONSTANTIN OLSHANSKY by the Russian military, the CHERKASY
remained the only warship on the Donuzlav River under the Ukrainian flag. On
the evening of March 25, the Russian military seized the ship. The assault was
carried out using two Mi-35 helicopters and three speedboats. It lasted more
than two hours.
Distinctions
As of February 2020, the stolen ship was moored by
the Russian military in Streletskaya Bay in temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
On March 27, 2014, by the decision of the Cherkasy
City Council session, the ship's commander Yuri Fedash was awarded the title of
honorary citizen of Cherkasy, and the ship's crew was awarded for services to
CHERKASY.
In cinema
Based on the events that took place on the ship in
March 2014, director Timur Yashchenko made the film "CHERKASY". It
premiered on February 25, 2020.
February 2014. The occupation of the Crimean
Peninsula begins. U311 CHERKASY minesweeper, along with other Ukrainian ships,
was blocked in Lake Donuzlav - the way to the sea is closed by the sunken
vessels of the Russian fleet. It is a trap. Ukrainian Navy ships begin to
surrender to the Russians. It seems that there is simply no other way. The
movie is based on real events. The story of the last Ukrainian ship in Crimea,
which resisted and continued the courageous fight.
- Thank you so very much for your interest and if you have any questions or
concerns please feel free to message me anytime!