UK intelligence assesses results of striking ships in Caspian Sea
Photo: Drones attacked ships in the Caspian Sea (Russian media)
On November 6, Ukraine launched a drone strike on the Russian port of Kaspiysk in the Caspian Sea. There were multiple Russian Navy vessels in the port, and at least two Gepard-Class frigates sustained damage, the UK Ministry of Defense reported.
"The extent of this damage is currently unknown however any damage to the vessels will highly likely be quickly repaired," the statement says.
According to the report, the Russian Caspian Flotilla was likely used for mass attacks against Ukraine in 2022, as well as has been used for occasional attacks in 2023 and 2024.
British intelligence also suggests that Ukraine's strike was a response to these attacks. However, the damaged vessels were unlikely to be used to launch direct strikes on Ukrainian territory.
"Whilst the current operational tempo in the Black Sea remains low, the attack demonstrates that Ukraine retains the ability to strike Russian targets in areas previously viewed as safe for operations. Prior to the strike, the Ukrainian UAV highly likely traversed a large area of Russian territory without being intercepted. This will highly likely cause concern to Russian political and military leaders," the UK Ministry of Defense emphasized.
Strike in the Caspian Sea
On November 6, drones of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) struck a Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea for the first time.
According to our sources, the damaged vessels may include missile ships Tatarstan and Dagestan, as well as smaller Project 21631 missile boats.
The Ukrainian Navy informs that Russia may keep missile carriers with unitary launch systems in the Caspian Sea. These carriers could launch not only Kalibr missiles but also Onyx and Zirkon.
