Ukraine’s Largest Naval Ship Destroyed in Russia’s First Sea Drone Strike

Ukraine’s largest naval ship in more than a decade, the Simferopol, has been sunk in a sea drone attack. Russia’s Defence Ministry said the vessel was hit in the Danube River delta, located in Ukraine’s Odessa region. The ship was a Laguna-class vessel used for radio, radar, electronic, and optical surveillance.

First Sea Drone Strike On Ukrainian Navy

This marks the first time a sea drone has successfully destroyed a Ukrainian naval ship, TASS reported, quoting a specialist in unmanned vehicles. Ukrainian officials later confirmed that the ship was struck. One sailor was killed in the attack and several others were injured, Ukraine’s Navy told the Kyiv Independent. “Rescue and recovery efforts are underway. Most of the crew survived, but some sailors are still missing,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying. The Simferopol was first launched in 2019 and officially joined Ukraine’s naval fleet two years later. According to the WarGonzo Telegram channel, it was the largest ship Ukraine had been able to deploy since 2014.

Russia Expands Use Of Drones In War

In recent months, Russia has been boosting the production of sea drones and other unmanned equipment, which have become a growing part of the conflict with Ukraine. Alongside the ship strike, Russia also targeted a major drone-making facility in Kyiv overnight with two missile attacks, Ukrainian politician Igor Zinkevich said on Thursday, as reported by RT. The site was reportedly preparing to assemble Turkish-made Bayraktar drones.