Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Project 23550 icebreaking patrol ship named Purga while it was under construction at the Vyborg Shipyard in Russia's Leningrad region on the night of March 24-25, 2026, causing the vessel to list heavily to port and collide with a nearby ship, according to Ukrainian military officials, OSINT analysts and published imagery.
The attack, carried out by long-range Ukrainian drones, targeted the Purga — an ice-class border patrol vessel being built for the Federal Security Service (FSB) Coast Guard — nearly 1,000 kilometers from the front lines. Photos circulating on social media and verified by outlets including Naval News and The Barents Observer showed the ship with a significant list, its hull leaning against another vessel, the Project 22011 oceanographic research ship Vice-Admiral Burilichev.
