Moscow, August 29, 2025 : In a major escalation of naval warfare tactics, Russia on Thursday claimed responsibility for sinking Ukraine’s largest naval ship through the use of a sea drone — a first-of-its-kind attack in the ongoing conflict. The Ukrainian Navy’s reconnaissance vessel Simferopol, a Laguna-class medium-sized ship, was struck in the delta of the River Danube, which partly flows through Ukraine’s Odessa region.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that the vessel was destroyed, calling the strike a significant breakthrough in the deployment of unmanned naval technology. According to Russia’s state media reports, this was the first successful instance of a sea drone being used to take down a Ukrainian naval vessel.

Details of the Strike

The Simferopol was designed for high-level reconnaissance missions, equipped with advanced radio, electronic, radar, and optical intelligence systems. It was launched in 2019 and formally inducted into the Ukrainian Navy in 2021. The ship was considered a strategic asset for Kiev, being the largest naval vessel commissioned by Ukraine since 2014, according to the WarGonzo Telegram channel.

The strike occurred in the Danube delta, an area vital for Ukraine’s naval operations and logistics. Ukrainian authorities confirmed the incident, with a Navy spokesperson reporting one crew member killed and several others injured. “Efforts to address the aftermath of the attack are ongoing. The majority of the crew are safe, and the search for several missing sailors continues,” the spokesperson was quoted by The Kiev Independent.

A Turning Point in Naval Warfare

Russian state media TASS cited a UAV expert who described the strike as a landmark development, marking the first effective use of a naval drone in direct combat against a warship. While aerial drones have played a significant role in the Ukraine conflict, Thursday’s incident highlights a shift towards the militarisation of unmanned sea-based platforms.

Russia has in recent months accelerated its production of naval drones and other unmanned systems. Analysts say this attack may set the stage for a new phase of asymmetric warfare in the Black Sea and surrounding regions, where Ukraine has relied heavily on smaller, mobile units after losing much of its fleet in earlier stages of the war.

Wider Conflict Developments

The attack on the Simferopol coincided with Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian drone production facilities. Ukrainian politician Igor Zinkevich claimed that two overnight missile strikes destroyed a site in Kiev that was preparing to produce Turkish Bayraktar drones, widely used by Ukraine in the war.

This dual offensive — targeting both Ukraine’s reconnaissance capabilities at sea and its drone manufacturing on land — reflects Russia’s strategy to undermine Ukraine’s ability to wage technologically driven warfare.

Symbolic and Strategic Blow

For Ukraine, the loss of the Simferopol is not only a military setback but also a symbolic one. The vessel represented a rare post-2014 achievement for Kiev’s struggling navy. Its destruction underscores the vulnerability of traditional naval assets in the face of rapidly advancing drone warfare.

As the conflict enters a new technological dimension, Thursday’s strike is likely to prompt Ukraine and its allies to urgently reassess naval defence strategies and counter-drone systems. The use of sea drones, once considered experimental, has now proven lethal — altering the dynamics of modern maritime combat.