Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported that a Russian Buyan-M-class small missile ship, equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, was damaged near Russian-occupied Crimea in the Azov Sea on Wednesday.

According to HUR, the operation involved a coordinated attack by the agency’s special unit, "Prymary," which used a drone strike to disable the ship’s radar system. Ukrainian special forces then launched a direct assault on the vessel, forcing it to retreat from its patrol zone in Temryuk Bay, where it had been stationed and prepared to launch Kalibr missiles. The agency released purported drone footage showing the attack on the missile carrier.

The Buyan-M-class ship, also known as Project 21631, is a small yet heavily armed corvette designed for operations in shallow waters. It was among the first Russian surface vessels used to launch Kalibr missiles and has been a key target in Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to limit Russian naval capabilities in the region.

Repeated attacks by Ukrainian forces using naval drones, missiles, and long-range drones have gradually compelled the Kremlin to reduce its naval presence in occupied Crimea. In recent months, Ukraine has successfully destroyed several Russian vessels, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship, the Ivanovets missile corvette, and multiple high-speed landing crafts.

HUR also reported on August 21 that it struck a Russian patrol boat in the Black Sea near the occupied town of Zaliznyi Port in Kherson Oblast, resulting in the deaths of five crew members.

Ukraine’s ongoing maritime operations demonstrate its continued focus on weakening Russian military control over occupied coastal areas and assert its defensive capabilities in the Black and Azov Seas. (ILKHA)