Ukraine says its "Sub Sea Baby" underwater drones struck and critically damaged a Russian Kilo-class submarine docked at Novorossiysk, calling the operation a first-of-its-kind underwater attack. The SBU and the Ukrainian Navy claimed responsibility and released video showing an explosion; Russia's Black Sea Fleet denied any damage. The incident comes as Kyiv intensifies strikes on Crimean ports and pursues diplomatic talks in Berlin on security guarantees and a political framework to end the war.
Ukraine Says First-Ever Underwater Drone Strike Damaged Russian Kilo-Class Submarine At Novorossiysk
President Vladimir Putin visits the destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov at the Black Sea Fleet’s naval base on Sept. 23, 2014, in Novorossiysk, Russia.
Ukraine announced on Monday that it carried out an underwater drone strike that it says critically damaged a Russian Kilo-class submarine while the vessel was moored at the Novorossiysk port. Kyiv described the operation as the first-known attack of its kind.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said its "Sub Sea Baby" underwater drones struck the submarine, which is reportedly fitted with four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles — the type Moscow has used to strike Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said the mission was conducted jointly by the Ukrainian Navy and the SBU's 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.
The SBU released video footage it said was filmed at the Novorossiysk naval base in Russia's Krasnodar region showing several ships alongside a quay before a large explosion. Kyiv also asserted that the submarine had been forced to remain in Novorossiysk because of earlier Ukrainian operations, including use of Sea Baby surface drones that pushed elements of Russia's Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol Bay.
A spokesman for Russia's Black Sea Fleet denied the strike inflicted any damage, posting on Telegram that no submarines or crew members were harmed. Independent verification of the damage claim was not immediately available; the reporting here reflects Ukrainian claims and the Russian denial.
"[Ukraine] once again proved that minnows can swallow sharks using innovation," drone specialist Brett Velicovich told Fox News Digital, adding that underwater drones could represent the next evolution in naval warfare.
The reported strike comes as Ukraine steps up operations against Sevastopol and other occupied Crimean ports and as Russia continues large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. The episode also occurred amid intensified diplomacy: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his negotiating team met in Berlin with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss security guarantees, and Zelenskyy held talks with European leaders about a broader political framework to end the war and plan postwar recovery.
What This Could Mean
If confirmed, a successful underwater drone attack on a submarine would mark a notable shift in maritime threats and could accelerate investment in anti-drone and undersea defenses. At the same time, the fog of war and competing claims underline the difficulty of independently verifying battlefield incidents in and around the Black Sea.
