According to information published by Ukrinform on April 19, 2022, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that Russia may prepare a naval landing operation in Mariupol. It could be the Russian Navy's Ropucha-class or Ivan Gren class landing ships.
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Project 775 (Ivan Gren class) landing ship Georgiy Pobedonosets (Picture source: Russian MoD)
On February 11, 2022, a Russian Navy's detachment of six landing ships, including the Ropucha-class landing ships Korolev, Minsk, Kaliningrad, Olenegorsk Miner, Ivan Green-class landing ship Pyotr Morgunov, Georgy Pobedonosets, and Olenegorsk Miner have made calling at the base of the Black Sea Fleet, the city of Sevastopol, Crimea.
The Ropucha class, Soviet designation Project 775, is a class of landing ships (large landing ship in Soviet classification) built in Poland for the Soviet Navy. The ships were built in Poland in the Stocznia Północna shipyards in Gdańsk. Designed for beach landings, they can carry a 450-ton cargo.
The ships have both bow- and stern doors for loading and unloading vehicles, and the 630 square meters (6,800 sq ft) of vehicle deck stretches the length of the hull. Up to 25 armored personnel carriers can be embarked.
The Ivan Gren class, Russian designation Project 11711, is a class of landing ships that are being built for the Russian Navy. The first ship of the class, Ivan Gren, was laid down on 23 December 2004.
The vessels of the class have a displacement of 5,000–6,000 tons and are able to carry up to 13 main battle tanks or 36 armored personnel carriers and 300 marines.
