The flagship of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the “Hetman Sahaidachny ” (U130), a Krivak III-class frigate, which was under repair, was flooded by the ship’s commander in order to avoid falling into the hands of the invaders, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.
“The commander of the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy followed the order to flood the ship so that the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate, which was under repair, would not fall into the hands of the enemy. It is hard to imagine a more difficult decision for a courageous soldier and crew,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook on Friday.
The 30-year-old vessel now lies half-submerged in the port of Mykolaiv, about 80 miles from Odessa, and less than 20 km from the territories occupied by the Russian army
