Aftermath Of Ukraine’s Underwater Drone Attack On Russian Submarine Seen In Satellite Imagery

Satellite images are now available showing the aftermath of Ukraine’s attack on the Russian Navy yesterday Improved Weight Diesel-electric class submarine located in the Black Sea naval fortress of Novorossiysk. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that this was the first attack against a Russian ship. uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV). The operation may also mark the first historical successful use of a UUV as an anti-ship weapon, although the actual level of damage inflicted on the submarine remains unclear. Readers can first get up-to-date information on the attack in our initial report here.

TWZ He obtained satellite images of the location of the attack in Novorossiysk from Vantor (formerly Maxar Technologies). Additional images of Planet Labs are also circulating on the internet.

Satellite images confirm that the UUV, called Submarine Baby, a type previously unknown to the SBU, exploded at the stern of the submarine at a pier in the port of Novorossiysk. A significant part of the pier was destroyed in the attack. All this coincides with video footage taken from a nearby location during the attack and released yesterday by the SBU.

Post-attack images show this: Improved Weight class submarine, also known as Project 636.3 Varshavyanka the class type is in the same position as before the attack. Two other submarines anchored nearby moved when the attack occurred. Other submarines and ships are still at anchorage, including the outer edge of the damaged pier.

Some currently available images indicate that the attacked submarine may now be further down the water, but this cannot be immediately confirmed. Any damage below the waterline is also not visible in the images. There is also no clear sign that any emergency measures were taken to keep her afloat or to contain the leakage of oil or other potentially hazardous liquids, as might be expected to determine whether the damage was serious.

Based on the estimated length of the visible part of the submarine, some observers noted that the epicenter of the explosion was less than 25 meters from the stern. The size and configuration of the Sub Sea Baby’s warhead, as well as other details about the UAV and its capabilities, remain scant.

Satellite images show the aftermath of the Sea Baby underwater drone’s attack on a submarine dock in the port of Novorossiysk.

According to the footage, the attack occurred approximately 20 meters from the stern of the Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine. https://t.co/SVecegvkeD pic.twitter.com/fxOicR5AAW

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) December 16, 2025

It should be noted that the stern of the Kilo-class submarine remained submerged, probably less than 20 meters away.

It is highly likely that at least the pushed end was affected kinetically.

(The satellite images I used are not new and were used for example purposes… https://t.co/fwO0UldAZs pic.twitter.com/qxNHs2AEQf

— Situation-6 (Military and Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) December 16, 2025

It is worth noting that four Project 636 submarines were still present in wider images of Novorossiysk harbor following the attack. There is nothing conclusive to suggest that the targeted boat may have been replaced by another boat to conceal the extent of the damage.

The satellite reveals that four Kilo-class submarines have docked at the Russian port of Novorossisk. One of these appears to have a slightly different waterline than the other three. Ukraine claims underwater UV launched attack on area via Mizarvision #OSINT pic.twitter.com/k1DLtOcloL

— GEOINT (@lobsterlarryliu) December 16, 2025

Unsurprisingly, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied that any damage had been caused to the submarine or any personnel in the port. The ministry released a video in which it claimed the boat was undamaged but did not provide an image of its stern. The background is also heavily censored. Even so, it still reveals what appear to be piles of broken concrete left on the pier after the explosion, clearly visible in the SBU’s video of the attack and in currently available satellite images.

The press service of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which operates the submarine, also denies any damage to the ships. This is also consistent with reports from various Russian marine monitoring channels on social media, although clear evidence confirming this has yet to emerge.

Overall, at this stage we still cannot say with any authority what level of damage the submarine may have actually suffered.

On the other hand, the attack shows that Ukraine was able to slip a UUV into a heavily defended port, at least during daylight hours, and detonate the warhead just a few dozen or so meters away from a valuable Russian submarine worth about $400 million, according to the SBU.

Therefore, at least one Ukrainian UUV was able to pass the barriers erected at the mouth of the port, which were specifically intended to protect the ships inside. However, it is worth noting that Defense barriers that Russia has already built It was deployed around ports, primarily in response to Ukraine’s uncrewed surface vessel (USV) campaign. This underlines the importance of the use of UUVs in this attack, as another example of the steady adaptation of weapon systems and tactics in response to countermeasures that has become a particular feature of the conflict in Ukraine.

With this in mind, Russia is likely to introduce new countermeasures against this particular style of attack, which Ukraine also spent on. developing for a while.

Although the results of yesterday’s attack are not certain at the moment, it seems that it will lead to similar developments continuing in Ukraine. Ukraine made a statement before the SBU targeted the submarine in Novorossiysk. A UUV named Marichkadesigned to start Kamikaze attacks on ships And maritime infrastructure. At least one other Ukrainian UUV, known as TolokaIt was previously announced. It’s unclear if any of these have any relation to Submarine Baby.

Video of Toloka UUV:

Moreover, the attack confirms that the Black Sea Fleet is still a primary target for Ukraine. This is especially true for Project 636 type submarines and corvettes with launch capabilities. Caliber long range cruise missiles. These weapons were regularly used in Russia’s night attacks against targets across Ukraine.

Already, Ukraine’s naval actions had forced the Black Sea Fleet to withdraw from bases on the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Novorossiysk. Attacks in Crimea also brought a lawsuit against someone else Improved Weight class submarine. In September 2023, Rostov-on-Don heavily damaged During the combined missile and USV attack on Sevastopol. Ukraine later claimed that it was destroyed.

At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there were a total of six Project 636 submarines in the Black Sea Fleet.

Other navies of the world will probably have watched yesterday’s attack with interest.

The United States, as well as China and many other countries, are developing their own UUVs for missions like this.

UUVs can attack ships and other targets from long distances and can be launched from submarines and capital ships, further extending their range. They can be used for surveillance and mine-laying, among other tasks. You can read more about these ships from various sources. TWZ stories Here.

Ultimately, whether the Russian submarine was damaged or not, the attack showed once again that the war in Ukraine is a crucible for the development of new military technologies, especially unmanned technologies.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com