Ukraine reported that it used a “Sub Sea Baby” underwater drone for the first time to damage a Russian submarine docked at the military base in Novorossiysk on Monday.
The sub, a 636.3 Varshavyanka, reportedly suffered “critical damage" and was "put out of action."
According to OSINT analyst H. I Sutton, who specialises in submarines and naval drones, the Sub Sea Baby had to perform impressive manoeuvres to reach its target.
Analysing a video of the attack, Sutton noted that the attack was a surprise to the Russians as the entrance to the naval base had remained open.
He said that the drone would have had to approach the entrance of the naval base from the opposite side and then make a sharp manoeuvre at an acute angle to turn and strike one of the three submarines at the base.
"In reality, any craft, surface or submersible, would have to approach from the left side of this frame, pass the various ships, barges and other objects through the Harbour entrance, and then turn back at an angle [inside the harbour toward the submarine]," he said in a YouTube video.
He called it “very complex navigation."
Sutton also said that the about 3-kilo-class submarines were present at the base at the time of the attack. The analyst also speculated that the submarine is certainly disabled after reviewing the aftermath of the strike.
Russia had already withdrawn its fleet from the Sevastopol port in the Black Sea after Ukrainian attacks. The country's strikes on Novorossiysk have largely been on fuel facilities. Now that the base is no longer protected, the analyst said that Russia will have to do one of two things: "Either improve their defences and feel unsafe, or redeploy." "But where?” he asked.