Aftermath of Ukraine’s underwater drone attack on Russian submarine seen in satellite images

Satellite images are now available showing the aftermath of a Ukrainian attack on a Russian navy ship yesterday Improved Kilo diesel-electric class submarine in the Black Sea naval fortress of Novorossiysk. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that this was the first attack against a Russian ship using an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). The operation may also mark the first successful historical use of a UUV as an anti-ship weapon, but the actual level of damage caused to the submarine remains unclear. Readers can first learn about the attack in our initial reporting here.

TWZ obtained from Vantor (formerly Maxar Technologies) satellite images of the site of the attack in Novorossiysk. Additional images from Planet Labs have also circulated online.

Satellite images confirm that the UUV – named by the SBU as Sub Sea Baby, a previously unknown type – detonated in the stern of the submarine, which was at a jetty in the port of Novorossiysk. A substantial chunk of the seawall itself was destroyed in the attack. All of this lines up with video footage of the attack from a nearby ground position, which the SBU released yesterday.

Post-strike footage shows that Improved Kilo class submarine, also known as Project 636.3 Varshavyanka class type, is in the same position as before the attack. Two other submarines that were anchored nearby when the attack took place moved. Other submarines and ships are still moored, including on the outer edge of the damaged breakwater.

Some of the images now available suggest that the submarine that was attacked may now be lower in the water, but this cannot be easily confirmed. Also, any damage below the waterline would not be visible in the images. At the same time, there are no clear signs that emergency measures were taken to keep it afloat or to limit the leakage of oil or other potentially dangerous fluids, as one might expect to see if the damage was severe.

Based on the estimated length of what is visible of the submarine, some observers have noted that the epicenter of the explosion appears to have been less than 65 feet from the stern. The size and configuration of the Sub Sea Baby warhead, as well as other details about the UUV and its capabilities, remain limited.

Satellite images show the aftermath of a Sea Baby underwater drone strike against a submarine jetty in the port of Novorossiysk.

According to the image, the strike occurred about 20 meters from the stern of a Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine, which remains… https://t.co/SVecegvkeD pic.twitter.com/fxOicR5AAW

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) December 16, 2025

Of note, the aft section of the Kilo-class submarine remains submerged, so it was probably even closer to 20 meters.

Very likely at least the powered end was affected in a kinetic way.

(The satellite images we used are not recent and are used for illustrative purposes… https://t.co/fwO0UldAZs pic.twitter.com/qxNHs2AEQf

— Status-6 (Military and Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) December 16, 2025

It is also worth noting that wider views of Novorossiysk harbor after the attack show four Project 636 submarines still present. There is nothing definitive to indicate that the boat in question could have been replaced with another to hide the extent of the damage.

The satellite reveals that four Kilo-class submarines are docked in the Russian port of Novorossisk. One of them seems to have a slightly different waterline than the other three. Ukraine claimed that underwater UV launched an attack on the area via Mizarvision #OSINT pic.twitter.com/k1DLtOcloL

— GEOINT (@lobsterlarryliu) December 16, 2025

For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense, unsurprisingly, denied that any damage had been done to the submarine or the personnel in the port. The ministry has released a video it claims shows the boat undamaged, but does not provide a view of the stern end. The background is also heavily censored. Even so, it still reveals what looks like piles of broken concrete debris left on the pier after the explosion, which was clearly visible in SBU video of the attack as well as satellite images available now.

The press service of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which operates the submarine, also denies any damage to its ships. This is also consistent with reports from various Russian naval monitoring channels on social media, but no clear corroborating evidence has yet emerged.

Overall, at this stage, we still cannot say with any authority what degree of damage, if any, the submarine actually sustained.

On the other hand, the attack shows that Ukraine was at least able to sneak a UUV into a heavily defended harbor in broad daylight and detonate its warhead just tens of meters away from a prized Russian submarine worth about $400 million, according to the SBU.

As a result, at least one Ukrainian UUV was able to notably penetrate beyond the barriers erected at the mouth of the harbor specifically intended to protect the vessels within. However, it is worth noting that the defensive barriers that Russia has already built around the ports were put there primarily in response to Ukraine’s Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) campaign. This underscores the importance of using a UUV in this attack, as another example of the constant adaptation of weapon systems and tactics in response to the countermeasures that have become a hallmark of the conflict in Ukraine.

With this in mind, Russia is likely to introduce new countermeasures against this particular mode of attack, one that Ukraine has been developing for some time.

The results of yesterday’s attack, although inconclusive at the moment, will likely further stimulate such developments in Ukraine. Before the SBU targeted the Novorossiysk submarine, Ukraine unveiled a UUV called the Marichka, designed to launch kamikaze attacks against ships and maritime infrastructure. At least one other Ukrainian UUV, known as the Toloka, has been previously revealed. It is unclear if any of these have any relation to Sub Sea Baby.

Toloka UUV video:

Moreover, the attack confirms that the Black Sea Fleet is still a prime target for Ukraine. This especially applies to submarines such as the Project 636 types and corvettes that are capable of launching Kalibr long-range cruise missiles. These weapons were regularly used in Russian night barrages launched against targets in Ukraine.

Already, Ukrainian naval actions have forced the Black Sea Fleet to withdraw from its bases in the occupied Crimean Peninsula at Novorossiysk. The Crimean attacks were also prosecuted against another Improved Kilo class submarine. In September 2023, Rostov-on-Don was badly damaged during a combined missile and USV attack on Sevastopol. Ukraine later claimed it was destroyed.

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea Fleet had a total of six Project 636 submarines at its disposal.

Other navies around the world will likely be watching yesterday’s attack with interest.

Like the United States, China and many other nations are developing their own UUVs for missions like this.

UUVs are capable of attacking ships and other targets at long ranges and can be launched from submarines and motherships, further extending their range. They can also be used for surveillance and mine laying, among other tasks. You can read more about these vessels in various TWZ stories here.

Ultimately, regardless of whether the Russian submarine was damaged or not, the attack demonstrated once again that the war in Ukraine is a crucible for the development of new military technologies, especially unmanned ones.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com