MRK-17 was
laid down in September 1991 and
launched on 12 October 1992 at the
A.M. Gorky Shipyard,
Zelenodolsk and
commissioned into the
Baltic Fleet on 26 February 2000. On 19 March 1992, the vessel was renamed
Samum, after the Russian word for the
simoom desert wind. On 25 July 2002,
Samum was assigned to the
Black Sea Fleet. On 14 September 2023, while stationed in
Sevastopol during the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ship was the target of a
Sea Baby sea drone attack by Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence sources, afterwards the ship was towed away for "extensive damage" on one side. The Russian defense ministry claimed however that the attack was repelled. As of mid-2024, the corvette was reported active, relocating to the eastern Black Sea from Crimea where evidently it had been considered too open to attack.
Pennant numbers == Citations ==