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In a bold move, Ukraine announced on Monday that it executed a groundbreaking underwater drone attack, severely damaging a Russian Kilo-class submarine stationed at the port of Novorossiysk. This marks the first instance of such a strategic strike against Russian naval forces.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reported that their innovative “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drones targeted the submarine, which was armed with four Kalibr cruise missile launchers. These missiles have been used in assaults on Kyiv and other Ukrainian territories.
This strategic operation was a collaborative effort between the Ukrainian Navy and the SBU’s 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, showcasing the synergy between military intelligence and naval capabilities.
To substantiate their claim, the SBU released video footage capturing the serene setting of several ships docked at the Novorossiysk naval base in Russia’s Krasnodar region, moments before a dramatic explosion disrupted the scene.
The attack, carried out on December 15, 2025, highlights Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to utilize innovative military technologies to counteract threats posed by Russian forces, as per the details shared by the Security Service of Ukraine.
The base has become a key refuge for Russia’s fleet as Ukraine intensifies strikes on Sevastopol and other occupied Crimean ports.
The SBU said the submarine had been forced to remain in Novorossiysk because of other Ukrainian operations, including the use of Sea Baby surface drones that drove Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol Bay.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied the strike caused any damage, writing on Telegram that no submarines or crews were harmed.
President Vladimir Putin visits the destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov at the Black Sea Fleet’s naval base on Sept. 23, 2014, in Novorossiysk, Russia. (Sasha Mordovets/Getty)
“[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 submarine strike comes as Russia continues to launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine and as the United States works to end Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
A mother cries at the coffin of her son, Oleh Borovyk, a Ukrainian serviceman killed in fighting with Russian forces near Pokrovsk, during his funeral ceremony in Boiarka, Ukraine, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his negotiating team met in Berlin on Sunday with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also held talks with European leaders earlier in the week on a broader political framework to end the war, secure long-term protections for Ukraine and support the country’s postwar recovery.
