The Russian Sub That Got Droned Yesterday Seemingly Can't Move Under Its Own Power
Imagery points to serious damage
Yesterday, the Ukrainian state security service—the vaunted SBU—maneuvered an explosive drone submarine into the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in southern Russia.
The unmanned underwater vehicle exploded just aft of the an Improved Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarine, one of three Kilos in service with the Russian Black Sea Fleet after a series of Ukrainian raids in 2023 and 2024 destroyed another boat in the class. The Black Sea Fleet’s Kilos routinely fire Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities.
Today, the first post-attack commercial satellite imagery of Novorossiysk became available. It’s mixed news for both sides in Russia’s wider war on Ukraine. While the targeted Kilo clearly avoided a direct hit and is still afloat, the Ukrainian UUV did explode close to the boat—and may have inflicted enough external or internal damage to immobilize it.
