Russia Fits Grachonok Boats With Nets in Black Sea
Russian forces have started fitting Project 21980 Grachonok anti-sabotage patrol boats with improvised anti-drone netting near the Kerch Bridge in occupied Crimea, after Ukrainian naval drone attacks in the black sea area around the crossing. Images published on May 11 by Ukrainian volunteer and blogger Serhii Sternenko show the modified vessels with metal-frame structures and netting over parts of the boats.
The Grachonok-class boats patrol and secure waters around the Kerch Bridge, the key logistics link between occupied Crimea and Russia. The new protection appears aimed at countering Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels and aerial drones after repeated strikes on Russian vessels guarding the bridge.
Kerch Bridge patrol boats
The photos show what appears to be a field modification rather than a factory upgrade. Metal frames rise above the boats, with netting stretched to cover exposed sections, suggesting Russian crews are trying to reduce the chance of another direct hit by Ukrainian maritime drones or aerial drones.
That response follows the April 30 nighttime operation in occupied Crimea, when the Ukrainian Navy said Ukrainian naval drones struck two Russian vessels guarding the Kerch Bridge. The targeted ships were described by Ukrainian officials as part of the force protecting the maritime zone around the bridge.
April 30 strike damage
After the attack, footage showed Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels moving at high speed toward Russian boats before impact. The strike reportedly damaged a Project 21980 Grachonok anti-sabotage boat and a Project 12200 Sobol patrol boat. The attack on the Grachonok boat killed nine Russian servicemen and injured two others.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is estimated to operate nine Grachonok-class boats, so the change visible in the May 11 images may not stay limited to one vessel. The Security Service of Ukraine said on April 18 that Ukrainian drones struck Russian ships, radar systems, fuel infrastructure, and communications equipment used by the Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea, adding pressure on the same maritime network that guards the bridge.
Black Sea Fleet pressure
The combination of April 18 and April 30 attacks shows a pattern of Ukrainian strikes on Russian naval assets and support systems in occupied Crimea, with the Kerch Bridge remaining a central target area. For Russia, the improvised netting suggests a shift from routine patrol posture to immediate hardening of boats that sit close to a route Moscow treats as strategically important.
What comes next is visible in the waterline itself: whether other Grachonok-class boats near the Kerch Bridge get the same treatment after the May 11 images circulated, and whether Ukraine keeps targeting the vessels assigned to protect the crossing.
