The SBU has disclosed previously unknown details regarding the preparations for the destruction of a Russian submarine in the port of Novorossiysk. Prior to the main attack, the Service disabled Russia's sole Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft operating in the Black Sea.
The announcement was made by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Operatives from the SBU's Department of Military Counterintelligence (13th Main Directorate) struck the modernized Il-38N "Sea Dragon" reconnaissance aircraft at the Yeysk airbase. The aircraft is valued at approximately $24 million.
The Il-38N is designed for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, airspace surveillance, mine-laying, and torpedo strikes. This specific aircraft had been actively countering SBU naval drones and was the only aerial asset in the Black Sea capable of detecting the "Sub Sea Baby" underwater drone as it approached its target.
To execute the strike, the SBU utilized a drone equipped with an airburst warhead containing 2,000 downward-facing shrapnel elements. The detonation occurred directly above the fuselage section housing key equipment and radar systems; the engine was also damaged.
Neutralizing the anti-submarine aircraft ensured the successful execution of the main phase of the special operation—the destruction of a Varshavyanka-class submarine.
