Video: Russian drone strike sinks Ukraine's 'largest' naval ship
What's the story
The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that a Ukrainian Navy reconnaissance vessel, the Simferopol, was sunk by a naval drone in the Danube River delta. The attack took place near Ukraine's Odessa region. This is reportedly the first time a Ukrainian naval ship has been destroyed by a sea drone, according to a UAV expert cited by Russia's news agency TASS.
Rescue efforts
Several crew members injured, missing
Ukrainian officials have confirmed that the Simferopol was hit and one crew member was killed in the strike. Several others were also injured. The Ukrainian Navy has said that rescue operations are currently underway, with most of the crew members being safe. However, some sailors are still missing, according to a report by Ukrainian outlet Kyiv Independent.
Twitter Post
Video shows attack
🚨Never seen something like this!
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) August 28, 2025
At the mouth of the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river flowing into the Black Sea.. an unmanned boat rammed and sank Ukraine’s reconnaissance ship Simferopol, named after the Crimean capital
Ukraine’s Armed Forces have confirmed the loss pic.twitter.com/TYuGD4D20k
Vessel details
Simferopol largest ship to be commissioned by Ukraine
The Simferopol was launched in 2019 and commissioned in 2021. It is the largest ship to be commissioned by Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014. The Laguna-class ship was designed for radio, electronic, radar, and optical reconnaissance. It also had a 30mm AK-306 artillery system onboard. While Ukraine has dealt significant losses to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, reports of Ukrainian naval losses are relatively rare.
Technology escalation
Russia ramping up unmanned military technology production
The attack comes as Russia has been ramping up its production of unmanned military technology. Moscow has been increasing the production of naval and aerial drones, which have become an increasingly important part of the conflict. In a related incident, Russian missile strikes hit a drone manufacturing facility in Kyiv overnight. Ukrainian politician Igor Zinkevich claimed that the facility was preparing to produce Turkish-made Bayraktar drones, RT reported.
Kyiv assault
Russia launches massive drone attack on Kyiv, kills 21 people
Separately, Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The assault killed at least 21 people and wounded 48 others. Among the victims were four children aged between two and 17 years old. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday at the request of Ukraine and five European Council members: Britain, France, Slovenia, Denmark, and Greece.