Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Russians are denying, the attack was succesful.
Ukraine’s security service says it has carried out an unusual naval operation inside a major russian port, marking what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind attack beneath the waterline.
The claim has not been independently verified.
The incident was reported after an explosion damaged a russian submarine while it was docked, according to a statement from Ukrainian authorities.
Details were released as part of a broader account of recent covert actions at sea.
Officials framed the event as another stage in Ukraine’s effort to disrupt russian naval capabilities used in strikes against Ukrainian territory.
Underwater first
The Security Service of Ukraine said in a press release, that the operation took place in the port of Novorossiysk and involved underwater drones called “Sub Sea Baby”. According to the agency, the drones struck a project 636.3 submarine, also known as the “Varshavyanka” class or Kilo-class under NATO classification.
The service said the blast caused severe damage, leaving the submarine effectively unusable. It added that this marked the first recorded instance of an underwater drone disabling a submarine of this class.
On board the vessel were four launch systems for Kalibr cruise missiles, which Ukraine says Russia has used in attacks across the country.
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Russia denies
According to the Russian state-owned news agency, RIA Novosti, the head of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain First Rank Alexei Rulev, acknowleged that Ukraine carried out an attack, but he denies that it was succesful.
“The enemy’s attempt to carry out sabotage using an unmanned underwater vehicle failed to achieve its goals,” he said.
