– Ukraine’s exploding drone boats are targeting smaller, high-speed vessels in the Black Sea after Russia moved its larger warships away.
– Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian military speedboat using a Magura V5 naval drone.
– Russia has attempted to defend against the drone attacks with added protections in port and increased combat air patrols, but Ukraine continues to find success in targeting Russian vessels.
Ukraine’s drone boats are targeting smaller, high-speed Russian vessels in the Black Sea after Russia relocated its larger warships in response to devastating attacks. The Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence reported destroying a Russian military speedboat with a Magura V5 naval drone in Uzka Bay. This ongoing drone and missile campaign has forced Russia to move assets away from Crimea to protect them.
Footage shared by Ukraine shows a naval drone evading fire to hit a Russian boat covered with camouflage. It’s unclear if the boat had any personnel on board. Russia claimed to have destroyed five Ukrainian drone boats near Crimea, showing footage of a helicopter attacking the water. The Russian boat targeted by Ukraine was identified as a “Mongoose” multi-purpose ship capable of combat operations.
Ukrainian forces have been using Magura V5s and Sea Babies exploding naval drones to target Russian warships in the Black Sea. Despite Russia’s efforts to defend against this asymmetrical warfare, it has struggled to consistently protect its vessels. Moscow has increased protections in port and equipped crews with more machine guns, but Ukrainian drones continue to pose a threat.
The Security Service of Ukraine revealed that Russia has combat helicopters and planes patrolling the Black Sea, consistent with the video shared by the Russian defense ministry. Despite these measures, Ukraine has been successful in targeting Russian vessels with its exploding drones. This conflict has highlighted the effectiveness of drone warfare in maritime operations.