Ukraine has released footage of an operation carried out by its Special Operations Forces against the Russian corvette “Grad”, of the Buyan-M class, using attack drones in an action conducted on Lake Onega, in the Karelia region.
According to Kyiv, the attack took place in October 2025, but the footage has only now been made public. During the offensive, the vessel was reportedly hit by several drones, causing fires on board and forcing Russian sailors to abandon the ship amid the flames. The “Grad” was sailing through Russia’s internal waterways toward the Caspian Sea, where it could have reinforced Russia’s naval presence in the south of the country.
Commissioned into the Baltic Fleet at the end of 2022, the “Grad” was one of the most modern examples of Project 21631 Buyan-M, a class known for operating cruise missiles and conducting missions in coastal and inland waters. The episode reinforces Ukraine’s growing ability to strike naval targets even far from traditional combat areas.
With this case, Ukraine says it has now damaged at least three Buyan-M vessels in confirmed operations. In addition to the attacks recorded in the Sea of Azov and Karelia in 2025, there are also earlier reports involving ships of the same class, although some of them remain without definitive confirmation.
Russia was moving a missile ship from the Baltic to reinforce its Caspian fleet. Ukraine found it on Lake Onega.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces used several drones to destroy the Grad – a Buyan-M class small missile ship – on October 4, 2025. The vessel was transiting… pic.twitter.com/5S7yQaYkWP
— Meanwhile in Ukraine (@MeanwhileInUA) May 27, 2026
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @MeanwhileInUA | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
