Ukraine Says It Disabled Russian Missile Submarine in First-Ever Underwater Drone Attack
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
KYIV, Dec 15 (GeokHub) Ukraine said on Monday it struck and disabled a Russian missile-carrying submarine docked at a Black Sea naval base using underwater sea drones, marking what Ukrainian officials described as the first successful combat use of an underwater drone against a submarine. Russia, however, denied the claim and said no damage was caused.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said the attack was carried out using domestically produced “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drones, targeting a diesel-electric submarine at the port of Novorossiysk, where Russia has relocated much of its Black Sea Fleet to shield it from Ukrainian strikes.
Footage released by the SBU showed a powerful underwater explosion erupting near a pier where a submarine and other vessels were docked. Reuters verified the location of the video by matching port infrastructure and pier layouts.
Alexander Kamyshin, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a post on X that the operation marked the first time in history an underwater drone had neutralised a submarine. That claim was swiftly rejected by Moscow.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet said no vessels or personnel were harmed in what it described as an attempted act of sabotage.
“None of the ships or submarines stationed in the bay of the Novorossiysk naval base, nor their crews, were damaged and are operating as normal,” the fleet said, according to Russian state news agencies.
Strategic Implications
Ukraine, which has lost most of its traditional naval fleet since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has increasingly relied on sea drones and long-range missiles to strike Russia’s far larger Black Sea Fleet. These attacks have forced Russia to withdraw key assets from Sevastopol in Crimea to ports deeper inside Russian territory.
According to the SBU, the submarine targeted in the latest strike was among several vessels relocated from Crimea to Novorossiysk. The vessel is capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles, widely used by Russia in strikes that have inflicted extensive damage on Ukraine’s power grid.
Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk described the operation as a significant escalation in naval warfare.
“This was the hardest target to hit,” Pletenchuk told Reuters. “It marks another turning point in Ukraine’s naval fight with Russia and once again reshapes perceptions of what is possible in modern naval combat.”
He added that repairing the submarine would likely require it to be brought above water, potentially exposing it to further Ukrainian attacks.
Diplomatic Context
The strike comes at a sensitive moment as U.S.-brokered peace negotiations intensify, raising concerns among Ukrainians that Kyiv could be pressured into accepting concessions viewed as unacceptable.
Ukraine has sought to demonstrate its ability to inflict meaningful damage on Russian military assets, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Zelenskiy did not “have the cards” in negotiations with Moscow.
Before Russia issued its denial, Pletenchuk said Ukraine believed one of the four submarines stationed at Novorossiysk had been lost, three of which are capable of carrying Kalibr missiles.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy, military and infrastructure targets as it continues to expand its drone and missile capabilities in an effort to narrow the battlefield gap with Russia’s superior firepower.
