Kerch Strait Attack: One Russian Ship Sunk, Second Unconfirmed

(KERCH STRAIT, CRIMEA) – Ukrainian marine drones struck two Russian naval vessels in the Kerch Strait during an early morning operation on 30 April 2026, with at least one patrol boat confirmed hit and the fate of the second remaining unclear.

The attack, launched at approximately 3.30am local time, targeted vessels guarding the strategic waterway near the Crimean Bridge and the port of Novorossiysk. Footage released by Ukrainian forces shows uncrewed surface vessels approaching a Sobol class patrol boat operated by the Russian Coast Guard and a Grachonok class anti sabotage vessel belonging to the Black Sea Fleet.

Video analysis indicates the Sobol class vessel sustained a direct strike. A still frame captured moments before impact shows the marine drone on a terminal approach to the 50 tonne displacement vessel. Given the small size of the craft, analysts assess that a successful strike would likely result in catastrophic destruction rather than repairable damage.

The outcome of the attack on the Grachonok class vessel remains unverified. The video feed released by Ukrainian forces cuts short before a definitive impact is visible, a pattern observed in previous operations where confirmation of a strike later emerged despite incomplete footage. Several explosions were detected briefly by other drones in the vicinity, but the spliced and edited nature of the released material makes visual confirmation difficult.

Russian forces appeared to detect the incoming drones, as significant defensive fire is visible in the footage, indicating an attempted response to the threat.

The Sobol class, designated Project 12200, is a small patrol craft with a displacement of just over 50 tonnes. Russia had 21 such vessels in service. The Grachonok class is a larger anti sabotage boat displacing 138 tonnes, with six assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. One of these vessels may have been abandoned by Russia at Port Tartus in the Mediterranean and rendered inactive. Another was damaged in April 2026 by Ukrainian first person view drones. Four additional craft serve with Russia’s National Coast Guard forces.

Ukrainian forces have previously struck vessels of both classes using various drone systems.