Big fish: the story of one combat duty

A new essay by our regular contributor Ivan Sudanov is dedicated to one operation of the Ukrainian Navy that changed the rules of the game in the Black Sea theater of operations. You can easily guess which operation the text is about. But the laws of the genre and wartime have not been canceled, so all the characters and events are fictional, and any coincidences with real people or events are accidental.

There were three of them - the duty operators of the mobile command post of the Ukrainian Navy 's anti-ship missile system codenamed Poseidon.

The kung was tightly closed, its insides illuminated only by numerous devices that made various sounds, from periodic squeaks to humming.

A table with an electric kettle stood in the corner. Lieutenant Nechyporenko, the shift supervisor, respectfully referred to it as a "strategic factor." Indeed, without this simple device, it would have been twice as difficult to endure a six-hour shift at the "product", and the state of the personnel of Ukraine's most important naval missile complex is quite a matter of strategy. Joking aside, as they say...

However, now the operators had no time for coffee or tea: combat duty on the very edge of the sea shore is a terrible strain. The enemy was hunting for the Poseidons, rightly considering them the main threat to its fleet, so at any moment something serious and, most likely, ballistic could hit this kung and other vehicles of the battery. "Iskanderist". It was unpleasant. And it was impossible to move at that moment: the target was about to appear, so the battery stood still, waiting for a flash on the radar. Neither Nechyporenko nor the other lieutenants, Reut and Vikniansky, were told what the target was. The operative only made a significant remark:

- "The situation is extremely tense. The Navy has started a very complicated game with the enemy, and there is hope that we will be able to catch a really big fish. I can't say more than that. Keep an eye on the instruments, Omega (a situational awareness system for tracking events in the sky, on land and at sea - author's note), keep your nose to the grindstone and be ready for anything.

...It's the third hour of duty. The clock face, as the military say, shows 17 big and 15 small, that is, a quarter to six. And the screens are empty. And the air is completely silent...

...The sound of a pen falling on the aluminum floor was perceived by the three cameramen as a clap of thunder. Everyone flinched, distracted from the flickering screens with numbers and icons. Realizing that nothing had happened, they immediately relaxed.

- "I'd like some coffee and a cigarette," Reut said dreamily.

- "I wouldn't mind a cognac," Vikniansky supported him.

- "But fuck you, not coffee with cognac and cigarettes while you're on shift. "Get your fucking vigilance up," Nechyporenko was still nervous, so he wasn't inclined to idle chatter.

- "We've already adjusted it, we've raised everything we can, we're watching," Reut said wistfully.

And then, as always happens in such stories, the radio came to life. This is the law of the genre. A steely, faceless voice spoke a few code phrases.
- Bulat-30, Bulat-30, I am Amethyst, ready to meet Sloth! I repeat, ready to meet Sloth!

However, in our case, everything was real.

Nechyporenko rushed to the Motorola and, clutching the tangent, quickly fired it off:

- "Amethyst, I'm Bulat, I've accepted to meet Sloth! I repeat, I accepted to meet the Slacker.
And, looking around at the other officers, he made a sour face.

- Commander...

They looked down, paying tribute to the solemnity of the moment.

Here again is an essential element of a heroic story. A new hero appears, the most important one, who will settle everything and defeat all enemies.

The door of the kunga opened, and the commander and his retinue entered.

- Attention, gentlemen officers! Stand up, at attention!

- Sit, sit, work!" The commander was in a good mood.

- "Attention! Now you will receive an indication of a special target, maximum concentration, give your best. Bearing 100-120, range 150-200, the target is large and curvy. It is important to quickly detect it with the radar, work it out with two missiles and run away. I'll be there to control it, but don't worry about me.

Yeah, and how can you work calmly in the presence of an admiral?

But the trio pulled themselves together.
- I see it! Light at 125, range 200, I have a target. It's a big ship! I'm on it!" Viknyansky's voice broke into high notes.

- Battery, prepare to fire!" A few minutes ago, the confused Nechyporenko gathered himself and began frantically pressing buttons and working with the screens. - "Two pencils at target 3212 - fire! Launch one, launch two!

The launch of the RK-360MC Neptune during the test. PHOTO: defence-ua.com

He turned to the commander:

- The salvo has been launched, Mr. Vice Admiral. The missile approach time to the target is 25 minutes.

The clock on the wall ticked for a long time and surprisingly loudly.

And the radio came to life again:

- "Bulat, I'm Amethyst, the target is hit, sinking, yours to the left and right! Fuck, he's sinking, sinking, sinking!

The commander slipped silently out of the kunga.

Reut exhaled a loud breath on purpose:

- Now I wish I had a drink of cognac.

It was a cool April evening, the Great War was still going on... There were three of them...

There was no official announcement of the awarding of the navy for the destruction of the Moskva missile cruiser. The media found out that two senior officers were awarded the Hero of Ukraine as a result of this operation. Those who identified the target, escorted it, and pressed the launch button were awarded departmental awards.

The kettle broke a month later, and Lieutenant Viknianskyi bought a new one with his own money. They also got a cat, but that's another story entirely...

Іван Суданов