Kyiv (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ukraine’s drones strike a Russian Kilo-class submarine in Novorossiysk, marking a historic underwater attack amid escalating naval conflict.
As reported by Yuliia Dysa of The Independent, Ukrainian authorities confirmed on Monday, 15 December, that their underwater drones struck and targeted a Russian Kilo-class attack submarine.
Kyiv’s forces carried out an unprecedented attack on Russia’s primary Black Sea naval base in Novorossiysk.
How Ukraine’s ‘Sub Sea Baby’ drones struck a Russian submarine in Novorossiysk?
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed the strike, carried out using its ‘Sub Sea Baby’ drones. The port of Novorossiysk remains a crucial hub for Russia, where numerous naval vessels were relocated to protect them from Kyiv’s attacks.
The SBU released a video showing a massive explosion erupting from the water near a docked submarine and other vessels, with Reuters verifying the footage by analyzing the port’s layout and piers.
According to Alexander Kamyshin, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, this marks the first time in history an underwater drone has neutralized a submarine.
Kyiv, with almost no naval fleet remaining, has deployed sea drones and missiles to strike at Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, pushing it from its position in Sevastopol, Crimea.
According to the SBU, Russia was compelled to move the diesel-electric submarine, along with other vessels, from Crimea to Novorossiysk in southern Russia.
The submarine can carry at least four Kalibr-type cruise missiles, which have been central to Russia’s large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s power grid in recent months.
The attack comes amid tense U.S.-brokered negotiations, raising concerns in Ukraine that Moscow could push them into settlement terms they consider surrender.
Following US President Donald Trump’s remark that Mr Zelensky “did not have the cards” in the talks, Ukraine has aimed to prove its capability to cause significant damage against Russia.
According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, a Ukrainian Navy spokesperson, the operation on the submarine marked ‘another turning point’ in Ukraine’s naval battle with Russia.
He said,
“This day once again upends the perception of the possibilities of naval combat in this war.”
Mr Pletenchuk stated that repairing the submarine will be difficult for Russia, as it must be done above water, leaving the vessel vulnerable to further attacks.
He added that Russia has lost one of its four submarines stationed in Novorossiysk, with the remaining vessels serving as Kalibr missile carriers.
What did Volodymyr Zelenskyy say about Russia, peace talks, and Ukraine’s sovereignty?
During a speech in the Dutch Parliament, Volodymyr Zelensky said,
“We are in the midst of the most intense and focused negotiations for peace since the beginning of this war. We are not talking about a pause or a temporary, uncertain solution; we are working closely with partners to finally end this Russian war against Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv still needs the same strong political support it has had since the start of the war. He also responded to Russian claims that negotiations should focus on the so-called ‘root causes’ of the conflict.
Mr Zelensky stated,
“They always blame others and always try to explain their wars through someone else’s actions, as if the reason for the aggression is never, never in Moscow, but always in their neighbours.”
He added,
“It’s not enough to force Russia into a deal. It’s not enough to make it stop killing. We must make Russia accept that there are rules in the world and that it cannot deceive everyone. This is the path to lasting peace.”
How many Russian drone strikes have targeted Ukraine?
Russian drone strikes on Ukraine surged in 2025. November recorded around 5,448 launches, October 5,312, and September 5,636, highlighted by an unprecedented 810-drone attack on September 6-7. July saw the highest activity with 6,245 drones deployed, averaging 201 daily.
Ukrainian military officials reported that by the end of 2023, Russia had launched approximately 3,900 Shahed drone strikes against Ukraine.
A massive coordinated strike on December 13, 2025, used over 450 attack drones to target energy generation and distribution facilities, leaving over one million households without power.
In early 2025, President Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had suffered over 46,000 dead and 380,000 wounded. Other reports suggest Ukrainian military casualties reached approximately 400,000 (killed and wounded combined) by mid-2025.