Ukrainian Drone Strike Disables Rare Russian Warship in Black Sea

Ukraine’s military intelligence service has claimed that a domestically produced drone strike disabled a rare Russian naval vessel patrolling the Black Sea near Novorossiysk.

The drone targeted a Project MPSV07-class multifunctional ship while it was conducting reconnaissance in Novorossiysk Bay, Krasnodar Krai. Released footage shows the drone striking the ship’s bridge, The Caspian Post reports via Ukrainian media.

“As a result of the strike, the vessel’s electronic intelligence systems were destroyed, and the ship was disabled, requiring costly repairs,” the military intelligence service.

Commissioned in 2015 and reportedly worth around $60 million, the ship is one of only a few of its class. Ukraine’s intelligence says Russia has four vessels of this type, while open sources list five operational ships and a sixth under construction.

The MPSV07 is designed for salvage and reconnaissance missions, equipped with advanced diving systems, sonar, remotely operated vehicles, and electronic intelligence tools.

This strike comes amid a series of Ukrainian operations targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The military intelligence service reported the destruction of two radar stations in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian officials claim that one-third of Russia’s fleet has been destroyed or disabled since the start of the full-scale war, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, Sergei Kotov patrol ship, and Ivanovets missile corvette.