The Security Service of Ukraine has disclosed new details of preparations for the sabotage of a Russian submarine in the port of Novorossiysk. One of the key stages of the special operation was disabling a Russian anti-submarine aircraft that could have interfered with the strike on the Russian submarine, the SSU press service reported.
“While preparing the strike on the submarine, officers of the 13th Main Directorate of the SSU’s Military Counterintelligence Department hit a modernized Il-38N reconnaissance aircraft (‘Sea Dragon’) at the Yeysk air base. This aircraft is designed for maritime reconnaissance, submarine detection, sea area surveillance, deployment of minefields, and delivery of torpedo strikes. The aircraft that was hit had been actively countering the operations of SSU maritime drones. The estimated cost of this aircraft is $24 million,” the security service said.
It is noted that in the Black Sea Russia had only one aircraft of this class capable of detecting the Sub Sea Baby underwater drone as it moved toward its target. Disabling this anti-submarine aircraft ensured the successful execution of the main phase of the special operation — the explosion of a Varshavyanka-class submarine.
To strike the Il-38N, the SSU used a modern drone with an above-ground detonation warhead equipped with two thousand downward-directed damaging elements. The explosion occurred directly above the compartment containing the main equipment and radars and also damaged the engine.
