Russia Black Sea Fleet attacked by Ukraine drones

 Streiff:

Friday night, the Russian naval base at Sevastopol in occupied Crimea was attacked by a number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV). The results of the attack are unclear. The Russians admit to damage to a minesweeper but video taken during the attack and aftermath hints at more extensive damage.

This is the fourth high-profile attack on targets in Crimea, a territory Russia illegally claims as its own, in as many months. On July 31, a drone attacked the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, wounding six. On August 9, a major Russian airbase at Novofedorivka suffered catastrophic aircraft losses due to a Ukrainian missile attack; see Airbase in Russian-Occupied Crimea Hit by Devastating Ukrainian Attack. And on October 8, a truck bomb extensively damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge linking Crimea to Russia; see WATCH: Incredible Footage of Key Russian-Controlled Bridge in Crimea Being Destroyed.

The main target of the attack appears to have been the guided missile frigate, Admiral Makarov. The symbolism is important from two aspects. Admiral Makarov is one of the primary platforms for launching cruise missiles at Ukrainian infrastructure in retaliation for the bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge. It is also the replacement for the guided missile cruiser Moskva which was sunk by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles on April 14; see BREAKING. The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was Hit by Ukrainian Missiles, Dead in the Water, Crew Evacuated and BREAKING. Russian Flagship Sinks While Being Towed to Port.
...

A successful attack on a heavily defended target like Sevastopol has to shake the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its command structure. An unknown number of unmanned vehicles were able to prosecute an attack in what may be a first in the history of warfare. No matter what the damage was, the fact that it happened is important. It is also important to note that Ukraine will have learned more about carrying out such an attack than Russia will have learned about preventing it. The Black Sea Fleet had a major command shake-up after the Moskva was lost; it is fairly safe to predict that it will have another one after this fiasco.
...

Russia remains vulnerable to attacks in Crimea and its defenses appear inadequate to Ukraine assaults.  This is more evidence of how Russia underestimated Ukraine when it decided to try to occupy it.  Russia's military weakness continues to be exposed.