Photo: RBC
Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) drones have attacked a Russian submarine in the port of Novorossiysk, marking the first such incident in history.
The SBU reported this on Telegram.
“For the first time in history, Sub Sea Baby naval drones have blown up a Russian Project 636.3 ‘Varshavyanka’-class submarine (NATO designation: Kilo). As a result of the explosion, the submarine sustained critical damage and has effectively been put out of action,” the Security Service said. The SBU уточнив that the submarine was carrying four launchers for Kalibr cruise missiles, which Russia uses to strike targets in Ukraine.
The submarine was destroyed as part of a joint operation by the 13th Main Directorate of the SBU’s Military Counterintelligence and the Naval Forces of Ukraine. The estimated cost of a Varshavyanka-class submarine is about $400 million; under current anti-Russian sanctions, construction of such a vessel could cost up to $500 million.
This class of submarines is also known as the “Black Hole” due to its low acoustic signature and ability to absorb sound, making it difficult to detect by sonar.
The SBU noted that the submarine was forced to remain in the port of Novorossiysk after Ukrainian drones pushed Russian warships and submarines out of Sevastopol Bay in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Varshavyanka-class submarine
Project 636.3 Varshavyanka is a diesel-electric, multi-purpose submarine designed with an emphasis on stealth and low noise. The 636.3 modification features an improved hydroacoustic “shell.”
Its armament includes six 533 mm torpedo tubes and a loadout of torpedoes and tube-launched cruise missiles. The submarine is capable of carrying and launching Kalibr cruise missiles, typically up to four on board, fired through the torpedo tubes.
