Sloviansk
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The Sloviansk was a small patrol vessel, operated by the Ukranian Navy, that Russia reported it destroyed, in March 2022.
The vessel had been built for the United States Coast Guard, as part of its Island class cutters. The US Coast Guard operated the vessel as the USCGC Cushington from 1988 until 2017. In 2018 she was refurbished, and provided to Ukraine.[1]
As built for the USCG she was powered by two diesel engines that gave her a maximum speed of 25 knots. She was armed with a 25 mm autocannon, and a pair of Browning M2 fifty caliber machine guns. She was designed to be operated by a crew of two officers and 14 enlisted sailors. In Ukrainian service her American built 25mm autocannon was replace with a Soviet 25mm autocannon.[2]
On September 27, 2018, the Cushing was formally transferred to Ukraine, after their retirement.[1] The actual transfer will take place in 2019, after some maintenance, and training of their Ukrainian crews.
On March 6, 2022, the mayor of Yuzhny, Volodymyr Novatsky announced the vessel had been sunk by a Russian aircraft, three days earlier, on March 3, 2022.[3] He indicated crew members, and at least one civilian passenger, had been killed. He did not indicate whether there had been any survivors.[4]
Four other vessels of this class were transferred to Ukraine. Their fate is unknown.
References
- ↑ Chuck Hill. “Remembering Coast Guard Cutter Cushing” –MyCG, Chuck Hill's blog, 2022-03-22. Retrieved on 2022-03-22.
- ↑ Patricia Kine. Russia Reportedly Sinks Former US Coast Guard Patrol Boat Donated to Ukraine, Military.com, 2022-03-07. Retrieved on 2022-03-09. “'On March 3, an airstrike was carried out by an enemy aircraft on the Sloviansk patrol boat, as a result of which it sank. People also went missing,' Novatsky said.”
- ↑ Ukraine Reports Loss of U.S.-Built Patrol Boat by Russian Missile, Maritime Executive, 2022-03-08. Retrieved on 2022-03-09. “It is believed that this is the first confirmed loss in combat of a ship of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The fate of the other Island Class patrol boats is unknown.”