Ukraine's navy said it destroyed the Russian FSB border patrol ship Izumrud off the coast of Novorossiysk using a Sargan-3000 naval drone, with casualties among the crew.
The Ukrainian navy later released a satellite image showing a partially submerged vessel. In a statement, Ukrainian military officials said the Izumrud participated in an attack on Ukrainian navy ships in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018. “Retribution is inevitable. To be continued,” the statement said.
The Russian side had not commented on the information at the time of publication.
The Izumrud was launched in 2014 and measured 62.5 meters in length. According to The Insider, it played a key role in the pursuit and capture of three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. At that time, Russian vessels rammed a Ukrainian tug, fired warning shots, and then opened fire to kill. Three Ukrainian sailors were wounded, and all 24 crew members were detained by Russia. They were returned home in a prisoner exchange in September 2019, and Russia handed over the captured ships to Ukraine in November of that year.