Ukraine Claims Sea Baby Drone Strike Disabled Russian Submarine At Black Sea Base | Watch

Last Updated:December 16, 2025, 09:28 IST

Ukraine’s SBU claims its Sea Baby drone critically damaged a Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarine at Novorossiysk, potentially costing Russia up to 500 million dollars.

Screengrab from a video shared by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which claimed to show an underwater drone strike on a Russian submarine at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. (IMAGE: X/@sentdefender)

Ukraine on Monday claimed it carried out a fresh deep-strike attack against Russia, saying it damaged a Russian submarine docked at a secure naval base.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the country’s counterintelligence agency, claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to the SBU, the strike critically damaged a Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarine, known by its NATO reporting name Kilo, while it was stationed at its home base at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

“Ukraine’s underwater Sea Baby drone attacked a Russian submarine. The explosion critically damaged the vessel and effectively disabled it. The submarine was carrying four Kalibr cruise missile launchers, which Russia uses to strike Ukrainian territory," the SBU’s press service said, sharing a video of the blast as evidence. News18 could not independently verify the footage.

Russian military bloggers, however, claimed the damage was minimal, while acknowledging that the incident should serve as a wake-up call. They said the drone may have struck a nearby pier rather than the submarine itself.

A report by Politico said that if the attack was as destructive as Ukraine claims, it could impose significant financial costs on the Russian military.

“The cost of a Varshavyanka-class submarine is about $400 million. Given the international sanctions in place, the construction of a similar submarine could now cost up to $500 million," the SBU’s press service said.

Kyiv has stepped up naval attacks in recent weeks on what it said were Russia-linked vessels in the Black Sea. Russia’s force regularly strike the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Two Turkish cargo carriers have been hit in recent days in what Kyiv said were strikes on Russian targets. Turkey has called for a halt to attacks on ports and energy facilities and warned of an “escalation" in the area.

News world Ukraine Claims Sea Baby Drone Strike Disabled Russian Submarine At Black Sea Base | Watch

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