Ukrainian drones struck Russian naval ships stationed in the Caspian Sea on Wednesday, marking Ukraine’s first known attack in this region. According to sources from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the drones targeted the Russian ships Tatarstan and Dagestan at the port of Kaspiysk in Russia’s Dagestan region, approximately 1,500 kilometers (940 miles) from Ukraine.
Footage released by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security shows drones approaching the vessels amid anti-aircraft fire from Russian defenses. The footage indicates the drones hit their targets successfully, though the exact damage remains unverified.
This morning, Ukrainian attack drones successfully struck Russia’s Caspian Sea flotilla in the port of Kaspiysk, over 1000 km behind the frontline.
Seen here, a Ukrainian drone flies low over the harbor and slams into a row of docked Russian warships. pic.twitter.com/06vbjUfblQ
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 6, 2024
Dagestan Governor Sergey Melikov said Russian defenses had destroyed at least one drone over Kaspiysk and authorities are now investigating. The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on whether other drones reached the port or damaged ships. The attack temporarily shut down the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, located a short distance from Kaspiysk.
This Caspian strike is a notable extension of Ukraine’s long-range drone warfare, which has so far mainly focused on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Over the past year, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian ships and facilities in the Black Sea, forcing Russia to relocate parts of its fleet away from Sevastopol to more secure locations within Russian territory.
The Caspian Sea is strategically significant for Russia, providing a route via the Volga-Don Canal for transporting military assets between the Caspian and Black Seas. The November 6 strike suggests that Ukraine is now targeting not just Russian forces near the frontlines but also distant assets critical to Russia’s broader military operations.
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