Ukrainian special forces hit Russian patrol ship and oil platform in Caspian Sea
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) carried out kamikaze drone strikes on a Russian patrol ship and an oil platform in the Caspian Sea on Dec. 19, the SSO reported on Dec. 20.
The patrol ship is designated Project 22460 Hunter, part of the Rubin class of Russian Coast Guard vessels designed to combat surface and airborne threats.
"They are equipped with weapons and systems to perform a wide range of missions in coastal waters. Several SSO drones successfully hit the target," the SSO said on Facebook.
In the same operation, SSO drones also hit a Russian oil platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea. The platform is owned by Russian oil company Lukoil and is used for oil and gas extraction.
"The platform ensures oil and gas production, the export of which fills the Russian budget and funds the war. The initial reserves of the field are estimated at approximately 129 million tons of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of gas," the SSO said.
The extent of the damage and the platform's operational status are being clarified.
Ukrainian forces have previously carried out successful strikes on Russian patrol vessels and other naval assets. In September 2025, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said it hit and damaged a multifunctional Russian Project MPSV07 ship patrolling the Black Sea.
On the same day the SSO announced the strike on the Hunter vessel, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported an hit on a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the Mediterranean sea — the first such attack of its kind.
Ukraine has allegedly destroyed or disabled one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the full-scale war, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship, the Ivanovets missile corvette, and multiple high-speed landing crafts.
