According to information published by Военный Осведомитель on June 18, 2022, two patrol ships of Project 22160 of the Russian Navy were filmed to the south of Snake Island in the exclusive economic zone of Romania. One of the ships was equipped with a Ka-29 helicopter, and the other with a Tor-M2KM SAM system mounted on the stern.
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Two Russian Navy's in the Romanian Exclusive economic Zone, south of the Ukrainian Snake Island (Picture source: Военный Осведомитель)
Project 22160 is a series of large patrol ships being constructed for the Russian Navy. The vessels are primarily intended for duties such as patrol, monitoring, and protection in open and closed seas. The first ship was laid down in February 2014 and joined the Russian Navy in December 2018.
The class's armament includes the Kalibr-NK cruise missile, aerosol camouflage, two grenade launchers, two machine guns, and a 76.2 mm dual-purpose gun (AK-176).
The ship also has a helicopter deck and hangar for one Ka-27 or Ka-226 helicopter. The ship also carries a landing speedboat and has provisions for drones, underwater unmanned craft, and unmanned boats. There is accommodation for an additional 60 men.
About the Ka-29 helicopter
The Kamov Ka-27 is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and is currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 assault transport, the Ka-28 downgraded export version, and the Ka-32 for civilian use.
The helicopter was developed for ferrying and anti-submarine warfare. Design work began in 1969 and the first prototype flew in 1973. It was intended to replace the decade-old Kamov Ka-25 and is similar in appearance to its predecessor due to the requirements of fitting in the same hangar space. Like other Kamov military helicopters, it has coaxial rotors, removing the need for a tail rotor.
Romanian Exclusive economic Zone
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
It stretches from the outer limit of the territorial sea (12 nautical miles from the baseline) out to 200 nautical miles (nmi) from the coast of the state in question. It is also referred to as a maritime continental margin and, in colloquial usage, may include the continental shelf.
The term does not include either the territorial sea or the continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical mile limit. The difference between the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone is that the first confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the second is merely a "sovereign right" which refers to the coastal state's rights below the surface of the sea.
