In A First, Ukraine Sea Drone Blows Up Russian Submarine In Novorossiysk Port

In a global naval warfare first, a secret new Ukrainian 'sub sea baby' drone maneuvered inside the harbor barriers ostensibly protecting Russia's Black Sea naval base at Novorossiysk and blew up a Russian submarine. 

While the Ukrainian drone was unmanned, the Russian sub did have crew on board and suffered extensive casualties. Novorossiysk was the base to which the remains of the Black Sea fleet retreated after Ukrainian attacks sank most of the fleet in and around Crimea, suggesting that even that port, far to the east, is no longer safe from Ukrainian attack. JL

Leo Chiu reports in the Kyiv Post:

Ukraine has launched a new, previously unreported “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drone and sank a Russian Kilo-class submarine of the class 636.3 ‘Varshavyanka’” was struck, “suffered critical damage and was put out of action” in the Novorossiysk port. The sub can carry four Kalibr cruise missiles used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Footage shows multiple Russian warships docked at Novorossiysk, with the surfaced submarine at the pier as an explosion sends up splashes nearby.

Ukraine has launched a new, previously unreported “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drone and sank a Russian Kilo-class submarine in the Novorossiysk port, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The SBU did not specify the date and time of the attack.

In a Monday press release, the SBU said “a Russian submarine of the class 636.3 ‘Varshavyanka’” was struck and “suffered critical damage and was actually put out of action.” Footage released with the announcement shows multiple Russian warships docked at Novorossiysk, with the surfaced submarine at the pier as an explosion sends up splashes nearby.

The SBU estimated the submarine’s cost at about $400 million, rising to as much as $500 million to replace due to sanctions, and said it can carry up to four Kalibr cruise missiles used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.

 

“This class of submarine is also known as the ‘Black Hole’ due to the hull’s ability to absorb sound and remain inaudible to sonar,” the SBU said of the destroyed submarine.

The SBU said it was a joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy.

“This was a joint operation of the 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence of the SBU and the Naval Forces of Ukraine,” the press release says.

SBU’s Sea Baby

Little is known about the new “Sub Sea Baby” drone, though the naming suggests that it is related to the SBU’s “Sea Baby” unmanned surface vehicle (USV).

 

On Dec. 10, the SBU used its Sea Baby drones to strike an oil tanker identified as belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea. On Nov. 29, the SBU also used its Sea Baby drones to strike two sanctioned oil tankers, Kairo and Virat, belonging to the Russian shadow fleet in the Black Sea.

Ukraine unveiled the Sea Baby drones after Russia’s 2022 invasion, and it has played a key role in helping Kyiv maintain naval superiority in the Black Sea, despite its limited navy following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The drones are regularly used against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and have helped force Moscow to relocate its vessels from occupied Crimea to the Novorossiysk port on mainland Russia, partly due to the threat posed by Kyiv’s naval drones.

In July 2023, Ukraine used Sea Baby drones to strike the support columns of the Kerch Bridge, which links occupied Crimea with mainland Russia. Built by order of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as a symbolic monument, the bridge was inaugurated by Putin in 2018.

The SBU also unveiled versions of Sea Baby equipped with machine guns and rocket launchers in October.