the crew of its carrier, the rescue ship Mikhail Rudnitsky of Russia's Northern Fleet, encountered difficulties launching AS-36, resulting in a collision between the ship's hull and the vehicle itself.
"Due to the collision, the AS-36 sustained damage that has halted ongoing testing," stated military intelligence via Telegram.
The AS-36 had undergone modernization at St. Petersburg's shipyard since 2017. Russian authorities are currently evaluating the extent of the damage and estimating the repair timeline.
Official statements from Russian sources regarding the incident have not been released. Verification of these claims by The Kyiv Independent was not possible.
Earlier in June, Ukraine's Navy reported another incident involving a Russian anti-submarine ship, Admiral Levchenko, which caught fire in the Barents Sea due to an engine malfunction.
The situation underscores ongoing tensions in the region, where Ukraine claims to have significantly impacted Russia's Black Sea Fleet operations as of late 2023.
