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Video: Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian-Occupied Jackup Rig off Crimea

The Sivash platform, as seen from a Ukrainian drone (courtesy Ukrainian Navy)
The Sivash platform, as seen from a Ukrainian drone (courtesy Ukrainian Navy)

Published Nov 3, 2025 5:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

Ukraine's navy has conducted an air and surface drone strike on a Russian oil platform complex in the Black Sea, which has reportedly been in use as a surveillance base by Russian special forces. 

Videos provided by the service appear to show at least one and possibly two drone hits on the jackup legs of a platform, along with two boat-launched aerial drone strikes on the platform topsides. The imagery shows that the platform's garrison mounted a vigorous defense with small arms.

The jackup rig, known as the Sivash, is one of two units known in Ukraine as the Boyko Towers - an unflattering reference to former minister of energy Yuriy Boyko, who was in charge at the time they were purchased by Chornomornaftogaz in 2011. The state energy company transferred funds for the rigs through an intermediary and paid out $400 million more than the two units would have cost if ordered directly from rig builder Keppel, raising questions about possible embezzlement. 

The two rigs were captured by Russian forces in 2014 during the invasion of Crimea, and they were towed to new locations off the peninsula's coast. Under Russian management, the jackups - and two fixed platforms - were fitted out with radars and staffed by monitoring teams to spot Ukraine's movements, contributing to Russian maritime domain awareness in the opening months of the 2022 full-scale invasion. 

Ukrainian special forces units regained control of the platforms in 2023, but they remained under continued threat. Russian forces were able to re-emplace radars and special forces teams on the sites, and last month, Radio Free Europe reported that the platforms were occupied by the Russian maritime security contractor "Espanyola."  Ukraine resumed attacking the platforms with airborne drones in May 2025, and announced another complex strike on Monday.

"The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck an elite special forces unit of the enemy, which was located on the drilling rig 'Sivash.' In addition to the technical means of reconnaissance and surveillance of the Russian occupiers, the enemy ATGM crew was destroyed," Ukraine's navy said in a statement.