Ukraine’s Security Service announced on December 15 that it successfully conducted what appears to be the first-ever underwater drone strike against a Russian submarine, marking a significant evolution in drone warfare capabilities. The attack targeted a Kilo-class submarine docked at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, effectively disabling the vessel.
The Operation
The SBU executed this operation using its Sub Sea Baby drones, an underwater variant of the Sea Baby naval drone that Ukraine has deployed against Russian surface vessels and port infrastructure. The strike was conducted jointly by the 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence of the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy.
According to the SBU, the submarine was equipped with four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles, weapons Russia regularly uses to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The agency published footage showing the moment the underwater drone impacted the submarine, causing a large explosion.
Strategic Impact
The submarine is valued at approximately $400 million, though international sanctions would likely push replacement costs to around $500 million. The SBU noted that the vessel had been relocated to Novorossiysk after earlier Ukrainian operations forced Russia to withdraw its Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Despite this relocation, Ukraine has demonstrated it can target Russian ships at Novorossiysk as well.
This isn’t the first Kilo-class submarine Ukraine has targeted. Another vessel of the same class, the Rostov-on-Don, was reportedly damaged in September 2023 during a Ukrainian missile strike on the Sevastopol Shipyard. The SBU claims it became the first submarine in history to be destroyed by a cruise missile.
Expanding Capabilities
The submarine strike represents a significant expansion of Ukrainian capabilities. While Ukraine has previously used naval drones to strike Russian surface ships and underwater drones to target Russia’s shadow fleet vessels circumventing sanctions, attacking a submarine with what functions as a slow-moving mine or torpedo demonstrates new tactical possibilities.
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has employed drones and missiles to damage and destroy dozens of Russian warships and other vessels in an asymmetrical campaign that has fundamentally altered the naval balance in the Black Sea.
This operation is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to undermine Russia’s military capabilities and disrupt its ability to launch missile strikes against Ukrainian territory. As Russia and NATO countries actively develop their own uncrewed systems for underwater operations, this strike signals that drone warfare is entering a new phase beneath the waves.
