Russian Submarine Damaged after Ukrainian Underwater Drone Strike?

Satellite images show damage to a pier in Russia’s Novorossiysk Bay following a Ukrainian underwater drone strike on December 15, raising questions about the condition of a Russian diesel-electric submarine moored at the site.

The Planet Labs images published on X by journalist Mark Krutov show clear structural damage to the pier, while the submarine itself cannot be assessed with certainty due to limited image resolution. However, the vessel’s stern area, including the propeller section, appears likely to have been affected. Krutov said the explosion occurred about 20m from the submarine, a distance that overlaps with the vessel’s submerged hull, which can extend 10-15m below the surface at the rear.

The imagery also shows another submarine being towed away from the area, while the damaged vessel was left in place, suggesting it could not be moved.

Ukrainian officials have said the strike was carried out using a “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drone operated by the Security Service of Ukraine. Russia has not identified the submarine involved or issued an official damage assessment.

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Black Sea Fleet operated six Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarines, known to NATO as the Kilo class. Some were deployed outside the Black Sea, including Krasnodar and Novorossiysk, now based in the Baltic Sea. In September 2023, another Varshavyanka submarine, Rostov-on-Don, was severely damaged during a Ukrainian missile strike on a Crimean shipyard while undergoing repairs.

Submarines currently based in Novorossiysk Bay include Kolpino, Veliky Novgorod, and Stary Oskol, along with the older Alrosa submarine. It remains unclear which Varshavyanka was hit in the December 15 attack. Based on known losses and damage, Ukrainian strikes have now hit about half of the Project 636.3 submarines that were operational in the Black Sea.

The Project 636.3 Varshavyanka is a third-generation diesel-electric attack submarine designed for low acoustic signatures. It displaces about 2,350 tons on the surface and nearly 4,000 tons submerged, measures roughly 74 meters in length, carries a crew of about 52 for up to 45 days, and is armed with torpedoes or Kalibr cruise missiles, making it a core strike asset for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.