Satellite Imaging Shows Ukrainian Drone Hit Pier, Not Russian Sub

Satellite imaging shows that the Ukrainian attack on the Russian sub pens at Novorossiysk struck the corner of a pier, not the Kilo-class attack sub a few feet away. The imagery appears to support Russian claims that the submarine was not damaged, though it is by no means conclusive.

On Tuesday, reporter Mark Krutov and naval analyst Tom Bike posted satellite photos of the sub piers in Novorossiysk's inner harbor taken before and after the attack. The pier appears intact in the days prior to the strike; the corner is clearly damaged in the image from the day after. A hit on the pier would be consistent with the color of the debris from the explosion, which was gray-black - indicating sediment along with water.

Kilo-class submarines have potent naval capabilities, but their role in the war is less naval in nature: they serve as stationary missile launch silos for long-distance surface strikes into Ukrainian territory, firing off salvos of Kalibr missiles to target facilities in and around Odesa, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Two Kilo-class subs are visible in video footage of the strike that was released by Ukraine's SBU security agency (above). Many observers noted that the existence of the SBU's footage itself, appearing to originate from a fixed camera within the naval harbor, illustrates Ukraine's ability to obtain intelligence inside secure Russian facilities - and its willingness to give up the secrecy of those means and methods for propaganda value.

Russia has released its own post-attack video to demonstrate that the sub remains afloat at the pier, and it claims that it was undamaged by the Ukrainian strike. However, naval analyst H.I. Sutton noted that the sub had not shifted berths - unlike all other vessels nearby - and appeared to be chained to the pier with heavy anchor chain, via large brackets fitted to the side of the sub and pierside fixtures that are normally used to affix heavy fendering. The brackets are not a typical feature of a Kilo-class attack sub at berth, and chains are almost never used for mooring vessels alongside a pier. "This may be to correct a list to port, which would be a damage indicator," commented Sutton.