The moment Ukraine changed naval warfare: Watch as terrified Russian sailors try to machinegun kamikaze drones before unmanned device sinks Putin warship in fireball explosion

Extraordinary new footage has revealed the sheer terror faced by Russian sailors aboard a large landing ship sunk by Ukrainian kamikaze drones last month.

A GoPro video taken by sailors aboard the doomed military ship Caesar Kunikov showed in shocking detail how the Navy men desperately tried to fend off the oncoming drones in an intense 20-minute naval battle before their ship was destroyed by a fiery explosion.

The warship was lost on February 14, but the images have only just been released by the Russian Telegram channel FighterBomber.

The hellish, chaotic scene saw a small group of sailors unload their weapons into the murky waters. Explosions rang out around them as one by one the drones crashed into the ship’s hull, lighting up the night sky.

But the clip also shows how the conflict in Ukraine and the deployment of kamikaze drones in Kiev have changed the face of naval warfare.

Despite its crew unleashing thousands of shots at the oncoming threat, the Russian battleship was powerless to defend itself against a fleet of fast, high-explosive MAGURA V5 drones piloted by operators hundreds of miles away.

There is no official death toll, but local reports suggest that several crew members died when the Caesar Kunikov sank.

An anonymous surviving crew member – who sought to dispute Russian claims that the sailors had been “cowards” and failed in their duty – said his GoPro footage showed that they “resisted the attack of (marine drones) with all available forces and resources had repulsed’ in the fierce battle. sea ​​battle.

He said there were 10 drones, but Ukraine only admitted to sending five.

‘The fifth (drone) hit the ship in the stern, immobilizing the ship, after which sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth Marine drones hit the ship on the port side amidships and closer to the stern, with the aim of capsizing the ship…

“The ninth Marine drone partially penetrated the hole created by the previous drone and nearly exploded inside.

‘From the time the enemy naval drones were discovered and the start of the battle, until the ship was completely submerged, just over 40 minutes had passed.

“The crew abandoned ship using life rafts, without loss of personnel, and evacuated all classified documentation and some of the secret equipment including weapons.”

“The last tenth Marine drone observed the dying ship until it sank, after which the tenth drone attempted to attack the tugboat accompanying the Caesar Kunikov, but was destroyed by the group on board.”

The FighterBomber Telegram channel also responded to the vilification of the crew after the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was dismissed from his position in the wake of the sinking.

‘Currently the crew members are being made into cowards and villains… (Yet) there was fighting there, according to the best traditions of our grandfathers.

‘I personally saw the bright work of the team right up to the last minute. I think the crew at least deserves not to be made into villains.”

In the days following the attack, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry poked fun at the Russian Navy on X, joking: “+1 Russian ship upgraded to submarine.

‘Black Sea fish will definitely enjoy Caesar salad.’

The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service of the GUR said of the operation: ‘On February 14, 2024, the Main Directorate of Intelligence in cooperation with the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed the large (Russian) landing ship Caesar Kunikov.

“The successful mission was carried out by the special forces of Group 13 of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. TCaesar Kunikov received critical breaches on the left and began to sink.’

The pre-war Telegram channel Rybar issued a scathing indictment of the Russian Navy after the attack.

“Two years have passed since the start of the military operation. There are not the best reviews about the command of the Black Sea Fleet among junior military personnel.

“This could still be attributed to simple grumbling, were it not for the systematic destruction of the facilities of the Black Sea Fleet by fire by the Ukrainian armed forces and the collective West.

‘At this point I just want to say: ”It’s time to change the approach”. Otherwise what’s the point?’ it concluded.

Earlier this week, another Russian warship, the modern patrol ship Sergey Kotov, which entered service just two years ago, was sunk in a separate attack off Crimea.

The attacks have caused the Russian Navy to lose its dominance in the western Black Sea, as many warships that once threatened Ukraine on a daily basis are now in port.

The Sergey Kotov is the fifteenth warship lost by the Russian Navy since the start of the war with Ukraine, and the fourth since the end of December.

On February 1, Ukraine again deployed kamikaze attack drones in a formidable attack off the coast of Crimea to sink the Russian warship Ivanovets.

Footage shared by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense showed unmanned maritime vessels attacking the 55-meter-long warship, eventually drilling a gaping hole in its hull.

“As a result of a number of direct hits on the hull, the Russian ship suffered damage incompatible with further movement – the Ivanovets tilted to the stern and sank,” the Military Informant Telegram channel said.

One posted: “We have to give the crew credit. They fought to the last.

“Even after three hits on the ship you can see the Navy drone being fired upon.”

The impressive operation was led by special forces from Group 13 of the Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR, who reportedly launched up to nine drones from positions near the Black Sea port of Odesa.