Ukraine's largest naval ship 'Simferopol' sunk by Russian sea drone in Danube strike | Watch

Ukrainian Navy's Ship Sunk In Drone Strike

In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russia announced the destruction of Ukraine’s reconnaissance ship Simferopol in a naval drone strike in the Danube River delta. The vessel, reportedly the largest commissioned by Ukraine in over a decade, was operating near the Odessa region when it was targeted, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

“The Ukrainian Navy’s reconnaissance ship Simferopol, which was reportedly the largest ship commissioned by the country in over a decade, has been hit and sunk in a naval drone strike,” the ministry stated, as reported by Russian state media.

💥SUNK: Ukrainian Recon Ship WIPED OUT By 🇷🇺 Unmanned Boats At The Mouth Of The Danube

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The drone-like boats had been used during July Storm exercises. Ukrainian Armed Forces have acknowledged the loss of the Simferopol vessel.

📹: 🇷🇺 MoD pic.twitter.com/ZKdL2PCdLC

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 28, 2025

The vessel belonged to the Laguna class and was outfitted for a variety of reconnaissance operations, including radio, electronic, radar, and optical surveillance.

This is believed to be the first instance of a Ukrainian naval ship being destroyed by a sea drone, according to a UAV expert cited by Russia’s news agency TASS.

The Simferopol was launched in 2019 and joined the Ukrainian Navy two years later.