“This attack demonstrates that Ukraine retains the ability to strike Russian targets in areas previously considered safe”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The British military notes that, despite the current operational tempo in the Black Sea, the attack demonstrates that Ukraine retains the ability to strike Russian targets in areas previously considered safe for operations.
“Before the strike, the Ukrainian UAV most likely crossed a large territory of Russia without being intercepted. This will most likely cause concern among the Russian political and military leadership,” the report says.
British intelligence points out that the Russian Caspian Flotilla was probably used to carry out mass attacks against Ukraine in 2022 and continued to be used for infrequent attacks in 2023-2024. Ukraine probably attacked the flotilla in response to these strikes on its territory, but it is unlikely that the Russian ships damaged in this strike were used to launch direct strikes on Ukrainian territory, according to intelligence.
At the time of the UAV attack, there were probably several ships of the Russian Navy in the port of Kaspiysk, at least two Cheetah-class frigates were probably damaged. The extent of this damage is currently unknown, but any damage to the ships is likely to be repaired quickly, the British Ministry of Defense suggests.
On the morning of November 6, the head of the Republic of Dagestan in Russia, Serhii Melikov, reported the first drone attack on the region. He claimed that in the morning the air defense forces destroyed the UAV over the Caspian Sea. The Ministry of Health of Dagestan later stated that a 16-year-old girl was slightly injured due to falling debris.
As the Russian Telegram channel Astra wrote, photos and videos from the scene show that the drones tried to attack the base of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy.
Later, RFE/RL’s intelligence source reported that kamikaze drones of the Main Intelligence Directorate hit Russian ships in the Caspian Sea. According to his data, the distance from the state border of Ukraine to the affected object is about 1,500 kilometers.
According to open data, parts of the coastal forces, including marines, are based in Caspiansk. The flotilla carried out missile strikes on Ukraine, and the 177th Separate Guards Marine Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces participated in battles in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.