Photographs released by the Security Provider of Ukraine presentations what it says is a strike on a Russian submarine at a port facility in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Location, Russia, on this screengrab from video released on December 15, 2025. Photo: Security carrier of Ukraine by strategy of Reuters.
Ukrainian underwater drones struck and disabled a Russian Kilo-class attack submarine in the Russian navy’s most main last Sunless Sea imperfect, in the first operation of its kind, Ukrainian officers stated on Monday (December 15, 2025).
The strike implemented by the Security Provider of Ukraine (SBU) with its “Sub Sea Runt one” drones hit the submarine in the port of Novorossiysk where Russia has rebased many naval vessels to place them out of reach of Ukrainian strikes.
Photographs published by the SBU showed a highly efficient explosion erupting from the water at a pier near where a submarine and diverse vessels had been docked. Reuters confirmed the place of the video utilizing the port’s layout and piers.
Alexander Kamyshin, an book to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on X that it used to be the first time in historic previous that an underwater drone had neutralised a submarine.
Ukraine, which has virtually no naval snappy left, has primitive sea drones and missiles to harry Russia’s wide naval Sunless Sea Speedy and dislodge it from its perch in the port city of Sevastopol on the occupied peninsula of Crimea.
The diesel-electrical submarine used to be one among many vessels that Russia used to be forced to switch from Crimea to Novorossiysk in southern Russia, the SBU stated.
The submarine is in a position to carrying at the very least four Kalibr-kind cruise missiles, one among the workhorses of Russia’s wide strikes that in fresh months beget inflicted vital misfortune to the Ukrainian vitality grid.
Russia didn’t today comment publicly concerning the attack.
Turning level
The strike comes amid a anxious length of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations that beget sparked fears amongst Ukrainians that they’ll be bullied to score settlement phrases with Russia that they check as tantamount to capitulation.
Ukraine has been trying to offer an rationalization for it can in point of fact inflict main misfortune on Russia, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Mr. Zelenskyy didn’t “beget the cards” in the negotiations.
Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated the operation to hit a submarine — the most fascinating blueprint to hit — marked “but any other turning level” in the naval fight between Ukraine and Russia.
“In right this moment and age as soon as again upends the opinion of the possibilities of naval fight on this battle,” he advised Reuters.
This could be remarkable for Russia to repair the submarine as that could must be done above water, which would point out the vessel would again be uncovered to attack, he added.
Russia has now lost one among its four submarines stationed in Novorossiysk, three of which would be Kalibr-carriers, Pletenchuk added.
Ukraine, which has been growing prolonged-vary drone and missile capabilities to narrow the gap with Russia’s wide weapons arsenal, has been stepping up strikes on Russian oil, gas, vitality and military targets.
Printed – December 16, 2025 08:10 am IST
