War Tide Turning? Ukrainian Sea Drones Cripple Russian Assault Boats Loaded With Equipment and Personnel

Two Russian assault boats with crew and equipment on board have been damaged by Ukrainian drones in annexed Crimea.

Knewz.com reported that the ships were reportedly loaded with armored vehicles, including an 8×8 amphibious armored personnel carrier.

The incident, captured on video, was released on November 10 and shows Ukrainian sea drones hitting the Russian navy craft near Crimea.

The video shows a ship in the sight of a sea drone camera before a huge explosion illuminates the screen.

According to reports, the Russian boats were also carrying Tor-M2 air defense systems, which were supposed to provide cover for their group on an occupied island in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian media outlet TSN News claims that the small landing ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation were damaged by soldiers during a night operation on the territory of the occupied Crimea.

The network quotes the Eastern European military saying:

“As a result of a night operation on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, soldiers hit small landing ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.”

As to what the functions of these vessels were, the Ukrainian intelligence service said:

“And in the conditions of the virtual absence of ship-based air defense systems among the Russians after a number of attacks by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine, such boats with air defense systems on board served as cover for the invaders for the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during roadsteads,” per TSN.

These boats are also said to have been used by Russia during the occupation of Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea to transfer military equipment and personnel.

The attack is suspected to have been executed by Marichka Sea Drones capable of carrying 1,000 lbs of explosives, per The Sun, with a range of 621 miles.

These unmanned torpedo-like vessels are said to be “invisible” and are allegedly immune to Russia’s radio-electronic warfare systems.

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Ukraine has been ramping up production of these drones, which are part of its efforts in the ongoing "War of the Drones" and in the past successfully destroyed several Russian war vessels using these unmanned weapons.

More recently Zelensky forces destroyed Putin's newest Black Sea Fleet warship, a missile carrier named Askold, before it even went into service.

The Sevastopol headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet was also destroyed in a previous strike.

The eyewatering naval losses suffered by Russia date back to April 2022, just months after Putin invaded the country.

In a surprise for both sides, Ukrainian forces were able to sink Putin’s Black Sea Fleet flagship, Moskva, per Forbes.