Ukraine hits Russian Navy ships with experimental Sea Baby drones — again!
Ukraine’s SBU Security Service, in conjunction with the Ukrainian Navy, conducted an operation targeting the Russian Buyan-M class cruise missile carrier and a patrol ship, the Pavel Derzhavin, using experimental maritime drone weaponry, NV sources reported on Oct. 13.
Details of the operation remain undisclosed, but sources indicate that both vessels were struck by surface drones armed with experimental weaponry known as the Sea Baby.
“After the initial strike, Russian minesweepers and divers were unable to detect our innovation (Sea Baby drones — ed.). Yesterday, the Alrosa (class) submarine was lucky to escape our efforts,” said one of the operation’s organizers.
“SBU warns the Moscow regime: Do not venture into Ukrainian waters if you wish to preserve any remnants of your fleet,” emphasized the source.
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The Buyan class is the Russian designation for Project 21630 Buyan and Project 21631 Buyan-M vessels. They are a series of corvettes, or small artillery and missile ships. All vessels since 2010 have been constructed as the improved Project 21631 subclass, incorporating greater tonnage, stealth technology and the 3S14 vertical launching system for either Kalibr or Onyx anti-ship cruise missiles, significantly enhancing combat capabilities.
Read also: Explosions rock occupied Crimea, smoke seen in Sevastopol Bay
The ships are primarily designed for coastal zone operations to protect Russia’s vast coastal areas. Due to the small tonnage, they can operate even in shallow areas of oceans and seas and Russia’s extensive inland waterway system. The export model is known as Project 21632 Tornado.
This incident follows a recent event where a patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Pavel Derzhavin, was damaged near Sevastopol on Oct. 11. While the Ukrainian Navy confirmed the ship’s damage, they did not provide specific details about the incident. Local Telegram channels reported that the Pavel Derzhavin may have hit a Russian mine.
In a prior incident on the early morning of Sept. 14, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck and damaged two patrol ships of the aggressor country, both of the Project 22160 Vasily Bykov type, in the southwestern Black Sea. A missile ship, Samum, was also targeted in this operation, which utilized maritime drones.
Read also: How destruction of Russian ships in Crimea may affect Moscow’s plans – expert interview
Notably, a day before these incidents, powerful explosions were reported across the occupied Sevastopol. Russia claimed that these were the result of an attack by missiles and “unmanned boats,” acknowledging damage to a ship repair facility and two ships that were allegedly “under repair.”
Ukrainian intelligence asserted that a large landing ship, Minsk, and the submarine Rostov-on-Don were struck and considered beyond repair.
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