Ukrainian naval drones hit a $400 million Russian submarine capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles while it was parked in the port of Nororossiysk, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement.
According to the note, the attack was carried out with drones called Sub Sea Baby Ukrainian production. “As a result of the explosion, the submarine suffered serious damage and has been put out of service,” the statement read.
Alexander Kamyshin, advisor to the president on strategic affairs, published a video on X about what happened, making his satisfaction clear: “First time in history that an underwater drone shoots down a submarine. We have been waiting for this day.”
At the time of the attack, the submarine in question had four Kalibr missile launchers installed on board, according to the note from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which recalls that Russia has been forced to withdraw its Black Sea fleet to the port of Novorossiysk due to repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on its ships when they were stationed on the peninsula.
For its part, Russia acknowledged the Ukrainian attack, but stated that it had failed and that no ships or submarines had been damaged. “The enemy’s attempt to carry out sabotage using an unmanned underwater vehicle did not achieve its objectives,” according to statements by Alexei Rulev, head of the press service of the Black Sea Fleet, reported by state media.
Why is it important
As indicated by the Ukrainian security agency, the construction of a submarine of this type could cost Russia up to 500 million dollars (more than 425 million euros) at present, due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, which has not confirmed the attack.
The Kilo-class submarine is used to launch, firing up to four at a time, according to the SBU statement. Russia has used missiles throughout the war to attack Ukraine. The agency added that the submarine is known as Black Hole due to the helmet’s ability to absorb sound and remain undetectable by sonar.
The SBU claimed that the ship had been forced to remain in the port of Novorossiysk due to the success of marine drone operations carried out by Ukraine, which forced Moscow to move many of its ships and submarines from Sevastopol Bay, in the occupied Crimean peninsula, which Russia unilaterally annexed already in 2014.
