An attack drone struck a missile boat stationed at the naval base in Kaspiysk, according to local residents who have shared reports and videos of the incident, as reported by Militarnyi. The strike occurred around 7 a.m.
What’s particularly striking is that this base lies about 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, highlighting the drone’s impressive range and its ability to evade Russian air defenses over such a distance. Although officials claimed the attack was unsuccessful and all drones were intercepted, videos captured by local residents clearly show the moment a drone struck the naval base, where small missile and artillery ships, along with modern Project 11661K “Gepard” patrol vessels, are stationed.
It is noted that the Project 11661K “Gepard” patrol ships, along with the Project 21631 “Buyan-M” small missile ships and Project 22800 small missile ships, are equipped with vertical launch systems for 8 “Kalibr” cruise missiles. These ships use the missiles to strike targets in Ukraine from the Caspian Sea. This capability makes them a significant threat, as they can launch long-range strikes, potentially targeting key infrastructure and military assets across Ukrainian territory.
According to the video footage of the strike, the missile boat of Project 12411.1, which is equipped with 4 “Termit” anti-ship missiles, was damaged in the attack. This type of vessel is typically used to target surface targets and has limited capabilities for both offensive strikes and air defense. While effective against ships, its ability to defend against aerial threats is relatively weak, making it vulnerable to attacks from drones or aircraft, particularly in the absence of robust air defense systems.
These missile boats have a displacement of around 500 tons and are typically armed with a 76 mm AK-176 automatic universal gun, two six-barrel 30 mm AK-630M anti-aircraft artillery systems, and portable surface-to-air missile systems like the “Strela-3” or “Verba.” According to *Miliatry*, the Caspian Flotilla officially does not have missile boats of this type in its fleet. Therefore, it is likely that this vessel was either a reserve unit or, more probably, was being stored at the naval base. This suggests the boat may not have been actively deployed, which could explain why it was an easier target for the drone strike.
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