Ukraine Claims First Strike by Underwater Drone on Russian Submarine

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Maria VarenikovaDecember 15, 2025 at 09:05 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Ukraine claimed its underwater drones critically damaged a Russian Kilo-class submarine docked in a Black Sea port near Novorossiysk on Monday, marking the first acknowledged use of this new Ukrainian weapon. The submarine, equipped with Kalibr cruise missile launchers, was targeted in an operation by the Security Service and Navy. Russia confirmed the attack but denied any damage to the submarine. The Ukrainian Security Service identified the drones as "Sub Sea Baby" type. The strike occurred as President Zelensky met with U.S. negotiators and European leaders to discuss peace proposals, seemingly to reinforce Ukraine's ability to fight. Concurrently, Ukraine also launched a large-scale aerial drone operation targeting a gas processing plant in Russia.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Novorossiysk 40% Black Sea ×250% Russia ×460% Volodymyr Zelensky ×270% Ukraine ×680%

Keywords

underwater drone 90% russian submarine 80% kilo-class submarine 70% black sea 60% drone strike 60% ukrainian weapons 50% sub sea baby 50% security service 40% kalibr cruise missiles 40%