Ukraine Waited for Russian Commanders to Celebrate – Then Blew Up Russia’s Floating Fortress
At exactly 3:20 a.m. on August 28th, 2025, a Bayern M warship belonging to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet worth nearly $80 million, was docked at military pier number two in Terriyak Bay, an inland area considered by Moscow to be untouchable, more than 65 miles from the Ukrainian front line. The vessel had just returned from a strategic caliber strike mission and was now in resupply mode, refueling, activating the cooling system, and especially reloading eight caliber NK cruise missiles, each worth over $1 million with a range of more than $950 mi capable of reaching any city in Ukraine. On the deck, a group of officers was gathered raising vodka glasses to celebrate the recently completed mission. The combat crew was rotating rest shifts. Some had fallen asleep at control stations. No one knew that just over 6 miles away, a high-speed boat bearing civilian markings was silently gliding across the water, slowly approaching the bay. From the outside, the speedboat looked like a regular fishing vessel, but inside the cockpit were two Ukrainian soldiers from the 73rd Naval Center dressed in fishing jackets and Russianstyle fisherman caps. Behind them in the storage compartment, where there should have been styrofoam boxes filled with squid and herring, were two Beaver model FPV suicide drones, heavy configuration, equipped with 8 lb armor-piercing warheads, night vision cameras, and internal navigation systems independent of GPS. And in less than 5 minutes, that small boat would become the mobile launchpad for one of the boldest naval attacks Ukraine had ever carried out. Right in the middle of a zone fully controlled by Russia, the Bayanm warship is a compact but extremely dangerous war machine. Unlike massive ships that carry helicopters and heavy air defense systems, the Bayern M is designed for narrow inland waters like the Caspian or Azov, but still capable of striking nearly any target in Ukraine. Each time this ship leaves Terri port, considered the cocoon of Russia’s Azovv fleet, cities like Kev, Lviv, or Odessa, face new uncertainty. No one knows what the next target will be, a power grid, a fuel depot, or a kindergarten. Ukraine knew this well, and they decided not to wait for the next launch. They would strike first. The defense system around Tamriuk port, where the warship was docked, was extremely dense. This was no ordinary port, but a floating air defense fortress. A Pancer S1 system specialized in intercepting UAVS and cruise missiles. Two Podlet K1 radar stations on active duty 24/7. This meant every layer of armor was active. Any unknown object that appeared would be shot down almost immediately. And so the Russian Navy believed Terriak Bay was a steel nest where no UAV could get close. But that was a fatal mistake because Ukraine had calculated the exact timing and chosen a method the enemy wouldn’t expect. Skimming the sea surface, the radar blind zone, a gap so narrow it seemed harmless. But from that very place, death approached silently with the weapon Russia least expected. a UAV costing just 1 over 500th of a caliber missile. At exactly 3:27 a.m. when the boat was just 3 miles from the target, right on the outer edge of Terriuk Port’s surveillance ring, the two Ukrainian soldiers in the cockpit moved quickly. They removed the gray camouflage tarps covering the back compartment. From beneath, two FPV drones emerged. Each drone was about 4 ft long with a wingspan of 5.5 ft. The body made of fiberglass composite, ultralight, low thermal signature matte gray to blend in with the sea. As soon as everything was ready, the two soldiers pulled the safety pins, activated the internal navigation modules, and pressed arm and release. The two UAVs were deployed using an independent dual strike model, two approach vectors, two separate targets fully synchronized in time and tactics. The first code camed from Thunder controlled by the primary group was programmed to fly directly toward the surveillance radar tower to disable the main radar system temporarily blinding the Russian warship. The second cenamed Vid Plata Retribution operated by HUR Special Operations Forces would follow from a 30° offset on the right flank and strike the Calibber missile launcher amid ships which held all eight Calibber NK cruise missiles. If Hamm succeeded in blinding the radar, Vid Plat would have the chance to pierce the final armor layer and strike at the heart of the warship where not only the missiles were stored but also the fire control command center. At exactly 3:29 minutes and 12 seconds a.m., the first UAV was pushed off the launch rail at the stern of the boat. In just 3 seconds, the high-speed electric propeller activated, the UAV accelerated, and took off, flying just above the water’s surface. The second drone followed 40 seconds later. Both UAVs flew approximately 200 f feet apart at an altitude of no more than 7 ft, low enough to slip beneath the scanning angles of the Podlet and Pancier radars. From that moment on, the boat had completed its mission. Everything that followed was entirely in the hands of two unmanned killing machines guided by internal navigation algorithms, inertial sensors, and infrared cameras. Inside a control bunker near the city of Zaporia, a UAV operator from the primary unit stared intently at a black and white FPV screen. Everything around him was dead silent. Only the dim glow of the monitor illuminated his tense, motionless face. The radar tower loomed on the screen, a nearperfect target. The operator held his breath. The ROM drone was closing in. Just a few hundred feet to go. The distance readout showed 950 ft, then 800, then 650. Still no reaction from the Russian vessel. Its radar kept rotating, unaware of the incoming threat. The operator tightened his grip on the control stick. The countdown began. 5 seconds 4 3. In that instant, everything went still. At exactly 3:31 minutes and 25 seconds A.M., a bright flash erupted directly on the main radar mast, followed by a white plume slicing across the deck. Flames burst out on both sides like massive welding torches. Shrapnel scattered, splashing into the sea like fireworks. Just 0.7 seconds after Haram struck, the entire surveillance and navigation system of the Bayan M simultaneously shut down. The main antenna was ripped from its rotation shaft and flung across the deck. The signal transmitter shorted out, sending sparks into the equipment compartment. The explosion’s heat singed auxiliary sensor clusters. The central data processor, shielded by EMI protection, was completely knocked out. The Bayern M, once a powerful long-range strike platform, was now in a state of temporary tactical blindness. The ship’s commander immediately gave the order, “Run a fast diagnostic on the sensors, possible electronic warfare attack.” But the responses were hopeless. Main radar completely destroyed. Voyanm now had only one hope of survival. The Pancier S1 close-in defense system with an engagement range of 2.5 to 3.5 miles, but it had to be activated manually by the crew. However, after Haram’s strike, the control center had been destroyed and cabin temperatures surged, making it impossible to trigger the support defense system. Part of the composite shell on the command tower was ripped open, allowing sea wind and carbon dust from the blast to pour in. A radar officer was critically injured. A shard from the antenna penetrated the observation window and struck his left chest. Within less than 10 seconds, the entire defense crew was thrown into chaos, losing command capability temporarily. And this still wasn’t the end. Now, the real threat arrived from an angle no one anticipated. At 3:31 minutes and 25 seconds a.m., just 6 seconds after the first strike, from the port side, a small gray object skimmed the surface at nearly 95 mph, heading directly for the caliber launcher section amid ships. It was Vid Plata, Ukraine’s FPV drone known as Retribution. Vidplata’s target was the center deck where the three S14 vertical launch system was located, housing up to eight Caliber NK cruise missiles. In the auxiliary control room, a watch officer shouted, “Lowle object approaching port side, but it was already too late. The radar was down. The optical camera was obscured by burned dust.” The Pancier battery had not been ordered to fire. The command crew was still trying to reboot the system. The Bayanm was now completely exposed to the second strike. The FPV feed from Vid Plata captured every launch bay clearly. Rectangular hatches painted in matte grayish green protruding from the deck like flat horizontal chimneys arranged in parallel rows along the ship’s center line. Heat signatures were visible from at least two launch covers. One of them, bay number three, had its hatch open, exposing part of a caliber NK already in pre-launch mode. That was the critical point Vid Plata had been programmed to hit. It immediately veered in from the port side, approaching at a 25° angle relative to the ship’s longitudinal axis. Exactly 3:32 a.m., Vid Plata slammed straight into launch bay 3. A powerful explosion blew the hatch clean off. A thick column of black smoke shot dozens of feet into the air. The blast tore apart part of the center deck. Steel plating bent. Metal fragments scattered like shrapnel. Immediately after impact, the ship’s internal fire suppression system activated. Carbon dioxide valves popped open along the deck. Compressed gas was sprayed in bursts to extinguish flames and reduce heat. But it was already too late. Fire spread into the secondary electrical bay. The launch control module was incinerated. The two adjacent launch bays overheated rapidly. The risk of a secondary explosion couldn’t be ruled out. And above all, the ship had completely lost its combat capability. After the blast, the vessel began tilting 3 to 5° to the right. A clear sign of internal imbalance or a flooded technical compartment. Crew members rushed to inspect the deck. Emergency valves were sealed. The entire defense system was switched to manual mode. The ship did not sink, but at this point it had lost all defensive and offensive capability. The UHF banned internal military communications channel of the Black Sea fleet received the message by an M warship B38 attacked, radar damaged, caliber system damaged. Requesting support and tow back to Terri. Less than 7 minutes after the dual strike, the Bayern M had completely lost its combat capability and was forced to withdraw from its active post in Terri Bay. The Boyanm serves as Russia’s main strike platform in the Sea of Azoth. Due to the sea’s semi-enclosed shallow water and narrow channel terrain, only small class ships like the Boyan M can operate effectively, evading enemy radar while launching long range cruise missiles. And now at least one has been knocked out of the fight. Just hours after the attack, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate released UAV footage clearly showing the first strike hit the radar, destroying the top of the mast. Seconds later, a second drone slammed into the center deck. Flames erupted. The ship tilted noticeably. No air defense response was observed. Trusted outlets such as Naval News, Kiev Post, Business Insider, and the Kev Independent all confirmed the video’s authenticity. According to independent naval experts, the FPV drone attack on the Buenm warship not only caused direct material damage, but also had immediate strategic consequences across the Sea of Azov. After the attack, the Bouan M was forced to return to its naval base in Sevastapole for assessment and repairs. The process is expected to take at least several weeks depending on the extent of the damage and the recoverability of its digital infrastructure. For Ukraine, this was a clean tactical victory achieved at less than 1% the cost of the target, yet with an impact that could shift the balance of power for days or even weeks. The strike dealt a blow to the confidence Russia’s navy once had in the supposed safe zone of the Azovv interior. To the Russian command, this was the calm rear area where warships could dock, reload, and prepare caliber strikes without fear of pursuit. But reality has just proven the opposite. Two FPV drones launched from a disguised speedboat not only penetrated a multi-million dollar air defense system, but struck the two most critical vulnerabilities of a warship, its radar and missile launch system. And this wasn’t the first time a Russian warship had been hit by improvised drones. Back in late 2024, Ukrainian special forces used improvised UAVs to disable a Sergey Kottov class patrol boat off the Crimean coast, forcing it to remain docked for repairs. That same year, a Cesar Kunov class landing ship was completely sunk during a drone-based amphibious strike. More recently, in July 2025, Ukraine deployed a sea launched FPV drone for the first time to strike an offshore oil rig near Crimea used by Russia as a radar station. A move Western analysts described as a turning point in asymmetric warfare. These are no longer desperate ramming attacks, but wellexecuted operations with planning, rehearsal, and synchronized timing using small, inexpensive weapons that know how to exploit blind spots, hit at the right moment, and strike the right target. It’s not that each individual UAV deals a fatal blow. Rather, it’s the intelligent, coordinated, and unconventional use of them that has turned these drones into the Russian Navy’s strategic nightmare of the 21st century. From this point forward, any Russian vessel operating in the area, whether it’s a Bayern M, a Cerna class, or a logistics ship, must now face the everpresent threat of UAVs that cost less than $2,000 a piece.
At exactly 03:20 AM on August 28, 2025.
A Buyan-M warship belonging to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, worth nearly $80 million, was docked at Military Pier No. 2 in Temryuk Bay — an inland area considered by Moscow to be untouchable, more than 65 miles (104.6 km) from the Ukrainian front line.
The vessel had just returned from a strategic Kalibr strike mission and was now in resupply mode: refueling, activating the cooling system, and especially reloading eight Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, each worth over $1 million — with a range of more than 950 miles (1530 km), capable of reaching any city in Ukraine.
On the deck, a group of officers was gathered, raising vodka glasses to celebrate the recently completed mission.
The combat crew was rotating rest shifts; some had fallen asleep at control stations.
No one knew that just over 6 miles (10 km) away, a high-speed boat bearing civilian markings was silently gliding across the water, slowly approaching the bay.
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