Satellite Imagery Shows Damaged Russian Military Ship in Berdyansk, Ukraine

Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful

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[deloughi]

Lets show the same 2 photos over and over for 32 seconds, we'll switch often for reasons unknown..

[MrAlfam]

There’s one visible with fumes but on the larger ship it seems that damage was to fuel tanks

[CyberBeep_kenshi]

It's on a special seafloor operation

[damirsirotic]

Don't think UA forces attacked those ships.
First, there is no way Tochka-U ballistic missile did this like many MSM reported. If Tochka-U hit this ship, not only the warhead (482kg HE) but the sheer kinetic energy (Mach 5, 3 speed on target aproach) of the missile would break the ship in two and that didn't happend so that was no Tochka-U attack. Furthermore, first UA positions are more then 100km from Berdyansk, her CEP is 95m and range 120km so its highly unlikely it hit directly at the ship on almost her maximum range. CCTV footage shows rather small first explosion directly on the Saratov (Project 1171 Tapir-class) and we can't se anything "big" (altho camera is far away) like Tochka-U falling from the sky. Smerch or other MLRSs of the UA military does not have the range to attack Berdyansk harbour from nearest UA positions. Neptun AShM is smaller then Tochka-U and have the range (140-300km, est.) but its a cruise missile with a turbojet so her engine trail would be clearly visible, also her warhead (cca145kg HE) would make a much larger explosion then that initial "puff" of smoke we see at the beginning.
There are four options left ;
1. diversion, 2. ammunition handling accident, 3. suicide drone/loitering munition something like Switchblade (US has announced the delivery to UA) or 4. Attack drone like TB2 Bayraktar. Since we haven't seen the footage from the drones, either Switchblade or Bayraktar, and the UA would definitelly provide one if they had it, i rule drones out. Ruled out the diversion too because; UA Navy couldn't use frogmen because it doesn't own any submarines to clandestinely get them to Azov Sea near the port and for the surface ship to brake Odessa blockade, pass by Sevastopol and Kerch strait to Berdyansk is highly unlikely. If diversants came by foot/land they would have to break in shooting or sneak somehow in to the guarded port, get on the ship and detonate an explosive device, again highly unlikely (but a excellent plot for a movie starring Denzel (former SAS specialist), Patrick Stewart as the UA colonel in charge of the operation, Tom Cruise (dies in first firefight, 4min in to the movie), Idris Elba (ex-French foreign legion), Mark Ruffalo (demolition expert, with glasses), Jason Statham (Millwall supporter-volunteer), Emily Blunt (Irina, the Medic), Scarlet Johansson (just because), Chris Hemsworth (truck driver before the war, lost his wife and son in the Russian air raid), Eric Bana (sniper/marksman, wounded he stay behind and sacrifice for the group), Kevin Hart (exchange student from Burkina Faso), Bill Burr (psychotic Igor, with both Scarlet and Denzel only survivor at the end), "Your Welcome" the Rock (ex-Delta/Seal american volunteer) and Liam Neeson as captain of the Saratov (he kills Chris Hemsworth and Emily Blunt and the Rock and Mark Ruffalo, and Jason Statham, and Elba, he even kill the dog they found on their way (cute and very smart belgian shepherd), it turns out he even killed Cruise at the beginning of the movie, but on the other hand he scuttle the ship to prevent civilian casualties in the city, so alienating but likeable), Ralph Fiennes as first officer (main villain, injure Scarlet, kills Kevin Hart, dies in the main explosion) and Rade Šerbedžija as the arrogant and incompetent Russian Admiral.
My guess is a ammunition accident. Small puff of smoke in the beginning of that CCTV footage is the accident itself followed by the large secondary explosion when the fire spread thru the cargo bay. The ship probably sunk because the crew scuttled it by opening the kingston valves to extinguish the fire and prevent further damage to the ship and port facilities.