Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) used a sea surface drone nicknamed "Sea Baby" to strike a Russian missile-carrying hovercraft, a corvette Samum, the Ukrainian media outlet New Voice reported on Sept. 15, citing its sources in the SBU.
The ship, which belongs to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was attacked while sailing into the Sevastopol Bay in Russian-occupied Crimea on Sept. 14, the New Voice wrote.
According to the media outlet’s sources, the drone struck the right side of the hovercraft’s rear, “causing significant damage” to the ship, and the crew was forced to tow it for repairs.
"Sea Baby" is an experimental model of a naval drone capable of operating in storms and hiding from detection behind big waves, the sources from the SBU told New Voice. The waves reportedly reached 1.5-2 meters in height during the operation.
Elsa Court
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone attempting to attack a Samum hovercraft on the afternoon of Sept. 14. Samum is one of the largest sea combat vehicles with a catamaran design.
On the same day, Ukrainian strikes damaged two Russian patrol ships, Vasily Bykov, in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, according to the Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate.
The Black Sea has seen an escalation of hostilities following Russia's unilateral termination of the grain deal.
As Russia began targeting Ukraine's ports and agricultural infrastructure, Russian officials have also reported on a number of alleged Ukrainian strikes against targets in occupied Crimea and Russian naval bases.
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
