The affected submarine had previously been stationed on the Crimea annexed by Russia. Due to previous Ukrainian drone attacks, Moscow had moved several ships - including this submarine - from the port of Sevastopol to the Russian naval base Novorossiysk. As early as August 2024, Ukrainian forces had reportedly damaged a Russian submarine on the Crimea. In recent months, Ukraine has also intensified attacks with sea drones on Russian oil tankers, which are attributed to the so-called shadow fleet.