The Saratov was a Project 1171 (Tapir-class; NATO reporting name Alligator-class) large landing ship that served in the Soviet and later the Russian Navy. It was the lead ship of its class, designed for beaching and unloading troops and heavy equipment.
History and Service The vessel was constructed at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. It was laid down in 1964 and commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1966 as BDK-65. In 2003, the ship was renamed Saratov. Throughout its service history, the ship was part of the Black Sea Fleet and participated in several regional conflicts, including the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and the 2014 annexation of Crimea. It was also utilized for logistical support during Russian military operations in Syria.
Loss in the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Saratov was deployed to transport military vehicles and personnel. In March 2022, the ship was docked in the port of Berdyansk, a city on the Sea of Azov that was under Russian occupation.
On March 24, 2022, a major explosion and fire occurred on the vessel while it was at the pier. Ukrainian military officials reported that their forces had conducted a strike using a Tochka-U tactical ballistic missile. Initial reports from both Ukrainian and international media outlets misidentified the destroyed vessel as its sister ship, the Orsk. However, subsequent satellite imagery and reports confirmed that the ship destroyed was the Saratov.
Following the strike, the ship caught fire and settled on the seabed in the shallow waters of the harbor to prevent further explosions from its cargo. In July 2022, Russian-installed officials in the Zaporizhzhia region confirmed that the ship had been refloated for salvage operations and transport to Kerch.
