Ukraine’s internal security agency SBU said on Monday that it had attacked a Russian submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, severely damaging it and rendering it virtually unnavigable.
The SBU said in a statement that the operation, which used underwater drones called Subsea Baby, was the first of its kind. A video shared by SBU showed a massive explosion at the port.
“As a result of the explosion, the submarine sustained significant damage and became virtually inoperable,” the SBU said. CNN was unable to independently verify this claim.
According to a statement from the SBU, the Kilo-class submarines will be used to launch Kalibr cruise missiles and can fire up to four missiles at once. Russia has used missiles to attack Ukraine during the war.
The agency added that the submarine is known as a “black hole” because of its hull’s ability to absorb sound and remain undetected by sonar. A similar class of submarine costs about $400 million. Building a similar submarine could cost up to $500 million, the SBU said, as international sanctions prevent Russia from accessing technological components.
Russian officials did not immediately comment on the incident.
The SBU said Ukraine’s past successful maritime drone operations forced the ship to remain in Novorossiysk port and forced the Russian government to move a number of ships and submarines from the Sevastopol Bay in occupied Crimea.
The attack comes amid continued diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The announcement was made shortly after the second day of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Berlin.
At a press conference in Berlin on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kiev must have “absolute certainty” about how its allies will guarantee its security before making any decisions on the front lines of a potential peace deal with Russia.
Speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskiy said any security measures should include ceasefire monitoring.
“That is actually the basis of security, because the question is: Who will carry out the surveillance? What sanctions will be applied if the surveillance mission is disrupted?” Zelenskiy said.
Mr. Zelensky said those questions were not yet answered, but Mr. Merz said the United States had provided “significant” assurances to Ukraine during the Berlin meeting.
“What the United States has provided here in terms of physical and legal guarantees is really important,” Merz said, without providing further details.
