Ukraine's Security Service has disclosed new details of a special operation in the russian port of Novorossiysk, confirming that the destruction of russian submarine was preceded by a successful strike on a key anti-submarine aircraft.
One of the critical preparatory phases of the operation involved disabling russian Il-38N maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, which posed a direct threat to the mission's success.
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The aircraft, a modernized Il-38N known as the Sea Dragon, was struck at the Yeysk air base by officers of the 13th Main Directorate of the Military Counterintelligence Department. The platform is designed for maritime reconnaissance, submarine detection, sea area surveillance, minelaying, and torpedo attacks.
The Security Service stated that in the Black Sea theater, russian forces possessed only one aircraft of this class capable of detecting Ukrainian Sub Sea Baby underwater drone during its approach to the target. This aircraft had been actively countering Ukraine's maritime drone operations.
The estimated cost of the Il-38N aircraft is approximately $24 million, making its loss a significant blow to russia's maritime surveillance and anti-submarine capabilities in the region.
To neutralize the aircraft, the Security Service employed a modern drone equipped with an airburst warhead containing roughly 2,000 downward-directed fragmentation elements. The detonation occurred directly above the compartment housing the aircraft's primary equipment and radar systems, also damaging one of its engines.
The successful disabling of the Il-38N aircraft ensured the execution of the main phase of the operation, the destruction of russian Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine in the port of Novorossiysk.
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