The Ukrainian Navy has lost one of its biggest ships after a Russian naval drone strike sank the reconnaissance ship Simferopol. This detail was revealed by Russia’s Defense Ministry on Thursday.
The Simferopol was a Laguna-class ship equipped for radio, electronic, radar, and optical reconnaissance, and was struck in the Danube River delta, part of Ukraine’s Odessa region. The vessel, commissioned just four years ago, was reportedly the largest ship Ukraine had launched in the last decade or so.
Check Out The Video
The video of this incident is all over the internet and has gone viral. The video shows the top view of this attack in which a Russian type Buyan-M missile boat, struck the Simferopol in the black sea and destroyed it completely.
Unbelievable
An unmanned Russian boat rammed and sank Ukraine’s reconnaissance ship Simferopol. pic.twitter.com/MvQ1MZyNKG
— War & Gore (@Goreunit) August 28, 2025
According to Russian state media, this marks the first successful use of a sea drone to destroy a Ukrainian Navy ship. The attack underscores how rapidly unmanned systems are reshaping the battlefield in the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian officials later confirmed the strike, acknowledging that the vessel had been hit. A Navy spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent that one crew member was killed, several were injured, and efforts are still underway to locate missing sailors. “The majority of the crew are safe, and work to deal with the aftermath continues,” the spokesperson said.
The Simferopol was launched in 2019 and officially joined Ukraine’s naval fleet two years later. It has been regarded as a symbol of Kyiv’s efforts to rebuild its navy following years of losses since 2014.
Meanwhile, Russia has significantly ramped up production of naval drones and other unmanned systems in recent months. The technology has played an increasingly decisive role in the war, with both sides deploying drones across land, air, and sea.
Deadly Missile Strike in Kyiv
At least 10 people were killed and 90 injured after a Russian missile strike hit Ukraine’s capital late last night. Rescue crews worked through the night to search for survivors and clear debris. Kyiv officials said several residential areas, including apartment buildings, were heavily damaged in the attack.
Zelenskyy Condemns Attack
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike a deliberate attack on civilians and again urged Western allies to provide more air defense systems. Russia also launched a large missile strike on Kharkiv, where at least seven missiles hit the city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Adding to the escalation, Ukrainian politician Ihor Zinkevych claimed on Thursday that Russian forces also targeted a major drone production facility in Kyiv overnight. According to him, two missile strikes hit a site preparing to manufacture Turkish-made Bayraktar drones.
