Ukraine has been employing naval drones to disrupt Russian naval operations in the Black Sea, marking a significant shift in naval warfare. Brig. Gen. Ivan Lukashevych of the Security Service of Ukraine revealed how drones helped in Ukraine’s attack on a Russian naval corvette in September.
What Happened: Ukrainian officials disclosed that an “experimental weapon” was used in the attack, along with the drones. Lukashevych of the Security Service of Ukraine, the mastermind behind Ukraine’s naval drone program, confirmed that this was the first instance of a ship being incapacitated by a mine deployed by an unmanned craft, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
"Before, naval drones were used mostly for surveillance or logistics," Lukashevych said in a recent interview.
"We are doing many things that no one in the world has done."
Lukashevych whose job was to find unconventional ways to attack the Russian army, recalled that the idea for the drones used in the attacks between September and October 2022 came from an aerial drone controlled from the ground using Elon Musk‘s Starlink.
However, Musk’s decision to no longer supply Starlink services in Ukraine affected Lukashevych’s first attempt to send drones to the sea. A month later, his team was able to use drones with different internet service providers to strike Russian naval forces in Sevastopol.
Lukashevych recalled seeing several Russian sailors jumping into the water from a Russian craft when one of the drones veered toward them.
"It shows their sailors are frightened of going on the water because they are fighting with metal, not with sailors," Lukashevych said.
Ukraine has reportedly sunk or damaged approximately two dozen Russian ships using explosive drones or mines delivered by small, low-slung craft. The drones have also inflicted significant damage to a bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea, disrupting Russia’s supply routes to its forces in Ukraine.
The deployment of these drones has compelled Russia to scatter the majority of its Black Sea Fleet far from Sevastopol, enabling Ukraine to resume exports worth billions from its main port of Odesa. The drones have also alleviated pressure on Ukraine’s ground forces by forcing Russia to move reconnaissance planes, jet fighters, helicopters, aerial drones, and electronic-jamming systems away from the front lines.
Why It Matters: The use of naval drones is transforming warfare at sea, similar to how uncrewed aerial craft have in the skies. They are relatively inexpensive, hard to detect, and challenging to defend against. This development demonstrates how smaller, less affluent nations can level the naval playing field against larger, more powerful navies.
The U.S. Pentagon has taken note, announcing an initiative to deploy hundreds of small, inexpensive air and sea drones to counter China’s growing military mass. Ukraine’s bold strikes against Russian naval forces in Crimea and the sinking of Russian landing ships using naval drones have been significant markers of this shift.
The U.S.’s increasing military aid to Ukraine has further escalated tensions in the region.
Photo by evan_huang on Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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