Ukrainian Naval Forces conducted a strike against a Russian Black Sea Fleet communication facility in occupied Crimea during the early hours of 11 September, according to an official Navy statement.

The operation targeted the 184th Research Experimental Base in Sevastopol, which housed a communication node responsible for coordinating Black Sea Fleet operations, the Navy reported. The facility served as a command and control center for Russian naval units operating in the region.

The military statement confirmed the strike occurred “on the night of September 11th” but did not disclose specific details about the extent of damage caused by the attack.

The targeted installation is situated in Kozacha Bay, according to the monitoring group “Crimean Wind,” which tracks military activities in the peninsula. 

In April 2022, Ukraine sank Russia’s flagship missile cruiser Moskva using Neptune anti-ship missiles and recently, drone strikes disabled a Russian MPSV07 vessel near Novorossiysk, damaging electronic reconnaissance capabilities.

Astra has identified the Russian ship hit in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian aerial long-range drone on 10 September as Spasatel Ilyin. The captain was hospitalized with shrapnel injuries. Ukraine’s intelligence confirmed earlier today that the vessel was damaged and disabled.

Spasatel Ilyin confirmed as the target

According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, a Ukrainian drone struck Spasatel Ilyin, an MPSV07-class vessel, near Yuzhnaya Ozereevka during the day on 10 September. The drone hit the ship’s bridge, injuring the captain, Roman Goroshkov. He was hospitalized with multiple wounds.

Local authorities did not acknowledge the incident. The mayor only reported drone debris allegedly hitting a non-residential building near the city and denied any casualties.

Ship disabled, systems destroyed

On the morning of 11 September, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said that Russia’s Russian Black Sea Fleet ship was struck near Novorossiysk. According to the report, the drone destroyed the ship’s navigation, communication, and electronic reconnaissance systems. The vessel was declared disabled and in need of expensive repairs.

Explore further

Ukraine struck a rare Russian spy ship 600 km away—now it’s crippled and useless (video)

Vessel used for reconnaissance

Though officially listed as a civilian rescue vessel, Spasatel Ilyin was reportedly used for military and intelligence purposes. It was equipped with sonar, diving systems, and electronic surveillance tools, according to HUR.

On 10 September, special forces of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) attacked a Russian Black Sea Fleet ship near Novorossiysk. As a result, the MPSV07-class vessel reportedly sustained serious damage, lost its electronic reconnaissance equipment, and now requires costly repairs.

According to HUR, the strike targeted a multifunctional MPSV07-class ship commissioned in 2015. Each ship of this type is valued at around $60 million, and the Russian Navy possesses only four of them. The vessel is equipped with diving systems, remotely operated vehicles, side-scan sonars, and electronic reconnaissance systems. With a power capacity of about 4 MW, the ship plays a crucial role in underwater and reconnaissance operations.

HUR confirmed that the Ukrainian drone struck the ship’s command bridge, containing navigation and communication systems. According to the report, the attack destroyed the vessel’s electronic reconnaissance equipment, disabling the ship, which would requiring long and costly repairs.

This attack fits into the broader context of Ukraine’s operations against Russia’s naval forces. Just weeks earlier, on 22 August 2025, DIU reported another successful operation in Novorossiysk, during which five elite Russian divers were eliminated.

Striletska Bay near Sevastopol, once a key base for Russian warships in occupied Crimea, is now nearly empty and used primarily for mooring tugboats and small patrol craft, the Atesh partisan group reported on July 8.

According to the group, Russia now uses the bay mainly for maintenance work and rare anti-sabotage defense drills, having pulled most major vessels from the area.

"Recently, the bay has been practically empty... The degradation of the occupation fleet in Sevastopol is becoming increasingly obvious. Striletska Bay, which previously housed a large number of combat vessels, is now idle." Atesh said.

The remaining combat units are periodically rotated and redeployed in an apparent effort to avoid detection by Ukrainian reconnaissance.

"Every object is under control — no ship will go unnoticed," Atesh said, adding that all ship movements are being tracked and shared with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Sevastopol has served as the base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Repeated Ukrainian attacks using naval drones, missiles, and long-range drones have forced the Kremlin to reduce its naval presence in occupied Crimea.

Ukraine has destroyed several Russian vessels, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship, the Ivanovets missile corvette, and multiple high-speed landing crafts.

The shrinking Russian presence in Sevastopol comes as Ukraine steps up drone attacks against other Black Sea Fleet locations. On July 6, drones struck the fleet's facilities in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, a key port east of Crimea across the Kerch Strait.

‘They have to be able to defend themselves’ — Trump says US will send additional weapons shipments to Ukraine, criticizes Putin

“They’re getting hit very hard. We’re gonna have to send more weapons, your defensive weapons primarily,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn