Ukraine claimed a major battlefield breakthrough Monday, announcing the first-ever combat strike using underwater drones to cripple a Russian submarine docked deep inside a secure naval port. The attack, if confirmed, would mark a significant escalation in Kyiv’s asymmetric warfare campaign against Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), its “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drones struck a Russian Kilo-class submarine in Novorossiysk, a key naval base in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The submarine reportedly carried four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles that have been used to strike Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Video released by the SBU showed ships docked at the base before a large explosion erupted.
The operation was conducted jointly by the Ukrainian Navy and the SBU’s 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence. Ukraine said the submarine had been forced to relocate to Novorossiysk after repeated Ukrainian attacks drove Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol Bay.
Russia denied the claim. A Black Sea Fleet spokesperson wrote on Telegram that no submarines or crews were damaged.
Defense experts say the reported strike highlights how innovation is reshaping modern warfare. “[Ukraine] once again proved that minnows can swallow sharks using innovation,” drone expert Brett Velicovich told Fox News Digital. “Underwater drones are the next evolution in drone warfare.”
The strike comes as Russia continues large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukraine, even as diplomatic efforts intensify. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Berlin with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss security guarantees, while also engaging European leaders on a framework to end the war.
If verified, the operation underscores Ukraine’s growing ability to challenge Russian military power far beyond the front lines.
