Ukrainian drone strikes and destroys Russian ship in the Black Sea #shorts
428This is further proof of Ukraine's ability to deliver significant blows to Russia in the Black Sea, despite its maritime superiority. On the night of September 9-10, 2025, special forces from Ukraine's military intelligence service (GUR) managed to strike a Russian ship with an aerial drone. A notable point of the attack: it took place close to Russian territory, in the bay opposite the port of Novorossiysk, where Moscow has withdrawn part of its fleet, in order to keep it away from the Ukrainian coast, and therefore from missile or drone strikes. However, this facility is still within range of Kyiv: attacks have been carried out there in the past. According to Kyiv's report, this boat was "conducting radio reconnaissance and patrolling" near Novorossiysk. The ship is a member of the Spassatel Karev class (MPSV07), which was commissioned in 2015—it is now the newest member of its class. Three other ships of this category exist, launched in 2012 and 2013. The Spassatel Demidov—as it is called—is “equipped with machinery to explore the seabed and damaged objects lying at depths of up to 1,000 meters” and “can conduct underwater diving operations to a depth of 300 meters,” according to Ship Technology. It is a multipurpose vessel, notes the Ukrainian military, which Ship Technology confirms: crewed by around twenty sailors, it is used for recovery and rescue, and has icebreaking capabilities. However, it is not intended for direct combat—there are no specific weapons on the ship. It does, however, contribute to Russian logistics. The attack resulted in a video showing the drone hurtling toward the ship, with a first-person camera in night vision. It struck the top of the Spassatel Demidov, just above the bridge. The video cuts out upon impact, but the damage is still visible. Kyiv acknowledges that this MPSV07-class vessel did not sink—rather, it would have been necessary to target the hull at or below the sea surface to cause a leak. However, Kyiv believes this will force Russia to make “costly repairs.” Furthermore, this excludes this ship from the game, as it is “inoperative.” The strike struck an area where navigation, signals intelligence, and communications equipment are located. This further illustrates the effects that low-cost offensive equipment like a drone can have on high-value targets: the targeted ship has an estimated cost of $60 million. While Ukraine regularly showcases its naval battle successes in the Black Sea—such as its successful operation in late August against a Buyan-class corvette (Project 21631), also damaged after an aerial drone strike, in the Sea of Azov—it also occasionally suffers setbacks at sea. Thus, also at the end of August, it was noted that a Russian surface drone managed to sink the Ukrainian intelligence gathering vessel Simferopol, while it was at the mouth of the Danube, not far from Romania. A sign that, despite Ukrainian successes, Kyiv also remains exposed in the Black Sea, including near its territory.