Ukraine Claims First-Ever Submarine Strike Using Underwater Drones on Russian Vessel

Ukraine has reportedly disabled a Russian Kilo-class attack submarine at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk using underwater drones, marking what Kyiv says is the first operation of its kind in history. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released footage showing a massive explosion near a pier where the submarine and other vessels were docked. Reuters verified the location using the port’s layout.

The operation was carried out with SBU “Sub Sea Baby” drones, specifically designed for naval strikes. Ukrainian officials stated the target, a diesel-electric submarine, is capable of carrying at least four Kalibr cruise missiles, key components of Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

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Strategic Significance

The strike represents a major escalation in Ukraine’s naval campaign. Since losing most of its fleet early in the war, Ukraine has relied on sea drones, missiles, and long-range artillery to challenge Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea.

Russian forces had relocated many vessels, including submarines, from Crimea to Novorossiysk following repeated Ukrainian strikes on the occupied port city of Sevastopol. The targeted submarine was one of four stationed at Novorossiysk, three of which are capable of launching Kalibr missiles.

Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk described the attack as “another turning point” in the naval battle, highlighting the difficulty of targeting submarines, which operate submerged and are typically among the hardest assets to neutralize.

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Implications for Russia

Repairing the damaged submarine will be challenging. Kyiv noted that repairs must be carried out above water, exposing the vessel to further attack. Losing one of four Novorossiysk submarines weakens Russia’s Black Sea fleet, reducing its capacity to launch long-range missile strikes from southern ports.

Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, celebrated the strike on social media, calling it “the first time in history that an underwater drone has neutralized a submarine.”

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Broader Context

The strike comes amid ongoing U.S.-brokered peace talks, which some Ukrainians view as potentially coercive. By demonstrating the ability to strike high-value naval assets, Ukraine aims to bolster its leverage in negotiations and counter statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that Zelenskyy “did not have the cards” in the talks.

Ukraine has been intensifying attacks on Russian oil, gas, power, and military infrastructure to offset its smaller arsenal and technological gap. Analysts say this operation signals a new era of drone-enabled naval warfare, potentially altering the calculus for both sides in the Black Sea.