Ukraine’s military has asserted it successfully sank a Russian submarine in Crimea’s Sevastopol port, marking another significant setback for Moscow in the occupied region.
According to CNN, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces stated on Saturday that the Rostov-on-Don submarine was struck on Friday and “sank on the spot,” though no additional evidence was provided.
If verified, this incident would represent Ukraine’s latest triumph against the Russian navy, which Kyiv claims has already lost a third of its Black Sea Fleet.
CNN has not independently confirmed the claim, and the Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the reported attack.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the loss of the Rostov-on-Don emphasizes that “there is no safe place for the Russian fleet in Ukrainian territorial waters of the Black Sea.” The Ukrainian Defense Ministry celebrated the attack, declaring on social media, “a Russian submarine went to the bottom of the Black Sea” following the strike in Sevastopol’s port. The ministry added, “As a result of the attack, the submarine sank. Great work, warriors.”
Since its annexation by Russian forces in 2014, Crimea has been under sporadic assault from Kyiv’s forces, especially after the war in Ukraine began more than two years ago.
Meanwhile, the Russian-appointed Governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed that submarine defense exercises were underway on Saturday and that “everything is calm in the city.”
Russian military blogger Boris Rozhin noted on Saturday that the ship repair plant in Sevastopol, where the submarine was docked, appeared to have been targeted.
Commissioned in 2014, the Rostov-on-Don is a 73.8-meter, 242-foot, Kilo II-class submarine with a crew of 52.
This diesel-electric-powered vessel, with a submerged displacement of 3,100 tons, can carry Kalibr cruise missiles.
Cedric Leighton, a CNN military analyst, emphasized the strategic importance of targeting Russian assets armed with Kalibr missiles, which have been used to strike vital Ukrainian infrastructure, including power plants.
“Hitting this submarine is a big, big deal,” Leighton said.
The Rostov-on-Don has been a target before. In September 2023, it was “severely damaged” in a Ukrainian missile attack, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. Subsequent open-source intelligence photos, including those cited by Britain’s defense ministry, showed what was described as “catastrophic damage.” Despite this, the submarine was repaired and recently tested in Sevastopol harbor waters, as per Ukraine’s General Staff.
Kyiv’s forces have consistently succeeded in targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet through missile strikes or sea drone attacks.
Over 20 Russian naval vessels have been disabled or destroyed, accounting for a third of the entire fleet.
Despite Ukraine’s lack of a significant navy, its technological innovation, boldness, and Russian missteps have allowed it to dominate much of the Black Sea.
Russia experienced its worst naval loss of the war with the sinking of the guided-missile cruiser Moskva in April 2022.
Following several Ukrainian attacks, satellite imagery from October 2023 indicated Russia had relocated some of its naval ships from Sevastopol.
In addition to damaging the submarine, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed four S-400 anti-aircraft missile launchers on Friday, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.
Leighton highlighted that eliminating these anti-aircraft batteries could potentially enable Ukrainian warplanes to engage more Russian targets in Crimea.
