A Russian warship has reportedly suffered serious damage after being attacked by Ukraine using sea drones. The overnight attack on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was claimed to have been thwarted by the Russian Defense Ministry, but videos shared on social media and information from a Ukrainian intelligence source suggested otherwise.
According to the Defense Ministry, two unmanned sea drones attacked the naval base in southern Russia, but they were destroyed by ships guarding the base’s outer boundary. Ukraine’s armed forces were blamed for the incident, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility from Kyiv.
Videos circulating online showed a ship resembling the Olenegorsky Gornyak warship listing and being towed back to the port that was reportedly attacked. Satellite imagery and ship tracking data confirmed that the video was filmed in Novorossiysk and depicted the same class of warship.
A Ukrainian intelligence source stated that the Olenegorsky Gornyak was damaged by a sea drone carrying 450 kilograms (approximately 1,000 pounds) of TNT. It was reported that around 100 Russian service members were on board at the time of the attack, although there is no information on casualties.
Novorossiysk is situated near Russian-occupied Crimea and is home to a naval base belonging to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The port city has been targeted in a series of drone attacks in recent months. While Ukraine does not officially claim responsibility for these attacks, Ukrainian officials often make sarcastic remarks about them.
The damage to the Russian warship, if confirmed by the Kremlin, would be a significant blow to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. This incident follows the loss of the fleet’s flagship, the Moskva, which was sunk by a missile attack by Ukraine early in the war. The exact details and number of personnel lost in that incident remain unclear.