Update on Russian Naval Activity - Afternoon Update

Iranian media is both reporting the 295th Sulinsky Missile Boat Battalion engaged a Georgian Patrol Boat in the Black Sea and sunk it. The Georgian boat reportedly attacked with rockets, but was reportedly unsuccessful in hitting any Russian vessels. There is no indication what weapon sank the Georgian patrol vessel, indeed it sounds like a close range encounter and could have been guns.

Reuters has the breaking news in English.

Russia's navy on Sunday sank a Georgian boat carrying missile launchers after a skirmish at sea, news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying.

Georgian boats had made two attempts to attack Russian ships which "returned fire, as a result of which one of the Georgian boats launching the attack sank", agencies quoted the ministry as saying.

There are no reports on survivors. Early speculation in Russia is that the vessel was the Tbilisi (თბილისი), a Soviet era 206MR project boat obtained by Ukraine in 1999, and one of two missile boats Georgia has. The Georgian Navy has 19 vessels, but only two ships are armed with missiles including the Tbilisi. That information is speculative, not verified.

Also of note is Russian Television is reporting the three Alligator class amphibious assault ships are conducting "humanitarian" operations off the coast of Ochamchire, in support of what Russian TV is calling "reinforcing peacekeepers." While very interesting, what doesn't make sense is how these three ships could possibly land the 4000 troops Georgia is claiming is already in Ochamchire. At most the three BDKs could move a battalion of Marines with all three ships combined, roughly 1300 men total.

If 4000 Russian troops have indeed found their way to Ochamchire as the Georgians claim, then it is probable the remainder of troops are not arriving by sea, rather they used the railroad system the Russian troops reportedly repaired during the "exercises" taking place last month. Georgia is claiming these troops are preparing to move towards the crucial energy port city of Poti.

Time will tell.