Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Missile Ships in Caspian Sea

Kyiv Post sources from within Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said its drones had struck two ships in the Caspian Sea, on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

As part of a novel special operation, the drones successfully hit vessels from the Russian flotilla based in the Caspian Sea for the first time. The distance from Ukraine’s state border to the target was approximately 1,500 kilometers (940 miles).

The kamikaze drone attack occurred on the morning of November 6 reportedly hitting

the small project 21631missile ships “Tatarstan” and “Dagestan”, moored near the city of Kaspiysk, Dagestan, Russia

The site hosts units of Russia’s coastal troops, including marine infantry. It is believed that vessels from the attacked flotilla were responsible for carrying out missile strikes on Ukraine, and its 177th Marine Infantry Regiment had participated in combat operations in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

As a result of the operation, the airport in Makhachkala, which is less than 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) from the was also shut down, HUR sources added.

HUR and other Ukrainian forces continue to carry out attacks against Russian naval vessels using both aerial and sea-based drones and advanced missiles, as a key strategy of its war with Russia.

Ukraine notably used two of its domestically produced “Neptun” anti-ship missiles to sink the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, on April 13, 2022, which became a symbol of the success of Ukraine's naval capabilities.

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Ukrainian drones and missiles have also repeatedly struck Russian missile ships, landing ships and a Kilo-class submarine in the Black Sea, in August and September 2023, and the destruction of the Russian missile ship Ivanovets in February 2024, using maritime drones.

Such operations demonstrate Ukraine's ability to reduce the effectiveness of the Russian fleet, especially against naval assets that have been involved in the bombardment of Ukrainian cities and its military forces in the south.