After the Drone Strike, Russians Failed to Tow the Damaged Kilo-Class Submarine

Satellite images of the aftermath of the damage to the Russian submarine 636.3 Varshavyanka class (NATO classification – Kilo) have been released.

Mark Krutov published the Planet images on his X page.

The image shows the damaged pier, but due to the image quality, it is difficult to determine the extent of damage to the submarine itself. It is likely that the stern and propeller were damaged.

Although Mark Krutov claims the explosion took place 20 meters from the submarine, it is worth noting that the submarine has an underwater section that extends 10-15 meters at the rear.

The image also shows that the Russians towed away the nearby submarine, while the damaged one was left in place, probably because it could not be towed.

A @Planet satellite image of Novorossiysk taken today shows the aftermath of the Ukrainian underwater drone attack on a Russian Kilo-class submarine. Still hard to conduct a precise BDA, but at least we can see that the explosion occurred approximately 20 m from the vessel. pic.twitter.com/c9ApUASHAN

— Mark Krutov (@kromark) December 16, 2025

The attack was launched on December 15 by a Sub Sea Baby underwater drone of the Security Service of Ukraine.

At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Black Sea Fleet had six submarines of the 636.3 Varshavyanka project.

Not all of them were in the Black Sea because of their duties in the Mediterranean, including Krasnodar and Novorossiysk, which are currently based in the Baltic Sea.

Also in September 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a missile attack on a shipyard in Crimea, which severely damaged the Rostov-on-Don submarine undergoing repairs.

It is not yet known which Varshavyanka was hit by the Ukrainian drone; it is reported that Kolpino, Veliky Novgorod, and Stary Oskol, as well as the older Alrosa of Project 877B, Halibut, are based in Novorossiysk Bay.

Thus, the Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to eliminate half of the operational submarines of this type in the Black Sea.

The Warshavianka project 636.3 submarine is a third-generation diesel-electric multipurpose submarine with an increased degree of stealth.

Main technical characteristics of the submarine:

Surface displacement: 2,350 tons
Underwater displacement: 3,950 tons
Waterline length: 73.8 meters
Width: 9.9 meters
Draught: 6.2 meters
Maximum underwater speed: 18-20 knots
Maximum surface speed: 11-17 knots
Operating depth: 240 meters (maximum up to 300 meters)
Crew: 52 people
Autonomous for: 45 days
Armament: 6 × 533 mm torpedoes, or Kalibr cruise missiles