The New Realities of the War at Sea

by Volodymyr Zablotskyi, naval expert,
for the Ukrainian Week magazine

The Russian-Ukrainian war has fundamentally transformed naval combat operations. Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have been deployed extensively—first as kamikaze drones, then expanding to roles including reconnaissance, mine laying, and carrying remotely operated 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns, surface-to-air missiles, rocket projectiles, FPV drones, and combat lasers. Ukraine’s innovative approach allowed it to seize the maritime initiative as early as 2022, shifting the balance in its favor.

A Brief Retrospective

The development of Ukraine’s first naval drone started under the auspices of the country’s special services in May 2022, only a month after the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva was sunk on April 14 by Neptune missiles. By summer, four Ukrainian engineers, working in secrecy, built the inaugural 6-meter unmanned surface vessel, Magura V1, adapted from a fishing boat with an outboard motor.

With the addition of a Starlink terminal, the V1 gained reliable, high-speed, two-way communication, which—combined with speed, maneuverability, and low observability—proved invaluable.

Tests at the Kyiv reservoir confirmed the design’s robustness and effectiveness. British naval expert H.I. Sutton noted this small vessel had “…changed the history of naval warfare and initiated a new era of maritime drone warfare.”

Subsequently, the more advanced 5.5-meter Magura V2 was introduced—a hydrocycle with an engine enclosed within a canoe-like hull, lowering its profile. This in turn gave way to the V3 variant, now armed with a 150-kg warhead and contact fuzes. On October 29, 2022, Magura V3 vessels debuted in the world’s first combined remote air-sea operation, attacking the heavily guarded naval base at Sevastopol and damaging three Russian warships.

By 2023, after the experimental V4 had all structural bugs worked out, the most successful Magura version to date—the 5.5-meter Magura V5, with a 320-kg payload—was commissioned. The drone accounts for the majority of Ukraine’s naval victories—namely, sinking 17 of 25 enemy ships and damaging 3, valued at over $500 million.

Following these advances, 2024 saw the introduction of unmanned vessels equipped with surface-to-air missile systems—initially Magura W6, followed by the even larger Magura V7. In May 2025, Magura V7 became the first in its class to destroy two Russian Su-30 fighter jets using Sidewinder missiles in combat. Today, the Ukrainian Defense Forces operate several naval drone types, all descending from Magura V1.

The effective use of sea drones has enabled Ukraine to achieve an array of strategic tasks, such as: breaking the country’s maritime blockade, expelling the enemy fleet from Sevastopol toward the Caucasus, and disrupting Russian logistics in the Black Sea, especially along the Novorossiysk–Tartus corridor. These developments mark a new warfare paradigm, which Valerii Zaluzhnyi terms a war of attrition.

Within the War of Attrition

Success in a war of attrition requires rapid innovation and practical use of advanced technologies, particularly in naval warfare. This involves intensifying strikes on the enemy’s military and economic infrastructure and blockading maritime supply lines—including the Port of Novorossiysk, a crucial outlet for Moscow’s Caspian oil exports.

To enhance maritime effectiveness, air superiority over the Black Sea is a must, as is the deployment of new long-range strike weapons—particularly to neutralize enemy submarines armed with Kalibr missiles. In this context, several innovative solutions are now coming down the pipeline.

In March 2025, Ukraine’s Military Armored Company HUB unveiled its newly developed 9-meter Katran-VENOM: a multipurpose autonomous platform designed for complex maritime and littoral assault missions.

Its armaments include two torpedoes, a forward-firing M134 Minigun, a Browning machine gun, and two Piorun MANPADS on a rotating turret, supported by electronic intelligence and warfare systems, plus a laser warning system with heat and smoke decoys to counter infrared and laser-guided threats.

The VENOM completes the Katran family, which also features the X1 (carrying four FPV drones and four Osa drones), X2 (armed with Browning M2 and four FPV drones), and X3 (carrying four FPV drones)—all introduced in 2024. These vessels feature Starlink and Kymeta terminals, AI enhancements, can reach 75 km/h, and exceed a 1,500 km range, marking significant combat advances.

Shortly thereafter, in April 2025, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces revealed the Alligator-9, a multifunctional unmanned vessel with a changeable modular weapons system—versatile enough to carry a variety of weapons, from combat lasers to kamikaze drones, depending on mission requirements.

Key to the Alligator-9 is the Tryzub 90 laser, capable of engaging drones, missiles, and helicopters up to 5 km away (and up to 10 km in dazzler mode), plus maritime targets. Notably, very few nations possess combat ship-based lasers.

As a torpedo carrier, it can launch 6–10 smaller FPV kamikaze drones (Alligator 5 ToD) or lightweight torpedoes against small surface targets. Its electronic warfare suite includes 3–5 Alligator 5 EW modules, enabling signal disruption, reconnaissance, mine clearing, and navigation support.

The Alligator-9 heralds a new phase in Ukrainian sea drone development that now combines lasers, torpedoes, and drone carriers. Among other achievements, the Unmanned Systems Forces credit it with destroying enemy air defenses and aircraft at Crimean airfields in spring and summer 2025.

As these platforms have been deployed, Russian defenses have become considerably more complicated—especially due to mixed tactics combining expendable kamikaze vessels with more advanced units. Moreover, the Alligator-9 can also intercept and neutralize enemy naval drones.

At the same time, denying the enemy air superiority over the Black Sea remains vital. Meanwhile, the emergence of new unmanned river drone systems likewise deserves particular attention. After all, de-blockading the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson requires restoring access to the Black Sea, including freeing the Dnipro delta and Kinburn Spit, where combat is still ongoing.

Early in 2025, the Defense Forces adopted Black Widow 2 small river drones, developed by Kyiv’s Hard Cat Drones. These 1-meter vessels, weighing 8 kg including a 3-kg warhead, fit in small transport containers, feature pan-tilt cameras operable day and night, silent electric motors, 40 km/h speed, 10 km range, and multiple hours of endurance.

Designed for Ukrainian naval infantry, they provide reconnaissance and counter enemy small craft, especially on the Dnipro River’s Island sectors. Reportedly, production can reach up to 100 units per month.

On July 14, 2025, trials for Ursula, another innovation developed by NoviTechNet for river and lake operations, began. The USV can serve as a reconnaissance platform, drone carrier, or drone-kamikaze against enemy vessels and infrastructure.

The vessel measures about 1 meter, weighs 8 kg including a 3-kg warhead, has an electric engine, moves at 40 km/h, and operates to 10 km. Its battery sustains hours of use and can enter days-long standby, reactivating on target detection.

Both virtually silent models are ideal for sabotage and reconnaissance in treacherous rivers and frontline waters.

The Ripple Effect

Ukraine’s leadership in developing and combat use of unmanned strike systems—particularly USVs—is now globally recognized by experts. Meanwhile, Western navies remain largely unprepared for, and thus extremely vulnerable to, USV attacks. At present, NATO states are now only beginning to address new maritime threats, develop their own surface drones and practice their combat use.

On July 31, French company SEAir announced its ARROW program of high-speed USV development. Its goal is to strengthen the defense of Europe’s extensive coastline through the use of mass, low-cost, and powerful solutions, especially in light of such new threats as maritime combat drones.

The program’s centerpiece is the ARROW platform—a 20-meter SCP200 hydrofoil, potentially deployable aboard Mistral-class amphibious assault ships built on SEAir’s own 12-meter SCP120 USV prototype that can operate in both piloted and autonomous modes.

Looking ahead, the SCP200 targets a 400-mile range and 45-knot speed, with trials set for 2027 and full development by 2028. SEAir is also developing smaller (8 m) vessels with electronic warfare, and larger (20–40 m) ones armed with anti-submarine torpedoes. The €7.5 million EU Defense Fund project includes 10 companies and two research centers across eight countries.

At the same time, in Latvia, tests have concluded for the Vidar FP mine-torpedo vessel, first showcased by TecPro Technologies and VIC TEC at the international Eurosatory 2024 exhibit.

Vidar FP is 10.48 m long, 2.58 m wide, drafts 1 m, freeboard 0.6 m, and carries 4 tons. Powered by two 30.9 kW diesels, it reaches 9 knots, cruises 2,000 miles, and operates in conditions up to sea state 9, with either autonomous or remote control.

Equipped with stealth technology, advanced electronic warfare, encrypted comms, optical and IR cameras, AI navigation, Starlink and GPS, it can expand the observation angle with a tethered Atlas Aerospace UAV rising up to 50 m.

Armament may include torpedoes—one heavy and one light—or six naval mines, three on each side.

By late 2024, Vidar FP completed Baltic Sea trials, including under Russian electronic warfare. Currently, it awaits NATO certification, which may encounter a problem, since the drone’s relatively low speed may limit combat use.

Meanwhile, Turkey, which has been very closely monitoring the Russia-Ukrainian naval combat, has unveiled several innovative USVs of its own. Particularly notable ones include the 2022 Aselsan’s 15-meter naval drone-carrier of the Marlin SIDA TCB 1101 electronic warfare complex, and the 2025 Talay ekranoplan drone by SolidAERO.

 

The Marlin carries eight Kuzgun missiles, hosts an electronic warfare suite, and reaches 36 knots with a 400-mile range and 24-hour endurance.

Marlin SIDA TCB 1101 carries 8 Kuzgun missiles, an electronic warfare suite, has a speed of 36 knots, a 400-mile range, and 24 hours endurance.

Talay, on the other hand, despite weighing 60 kg including a 30 kg warhead, offers a revolutionary naval capability altogether. With the speed of up to 200 km/h and capacity to cover all 200 km while flying at the extra-low 3–5 m altitudes, it is effectively invisible to radar.

The drone’s simple design uses affordable materials, with its own vulnerability being its weather dependency, as it can operate only in sea states up to 3. The Turkish Navy is expected to receive the first series of the USV in early 2027.

 

Beyond the developments in Turkey, Poland’s Formoza maritime special operations unit is pursuing swarm tactics with super-affordable Rampage vessels from Havoc AI, operating dozens simultaneously.

Rampage USVs are 14 feet long, carry 136 kg payloads, travel at 15 knots, and have a range of 150 miles. They run on solar power and are remotely controlled via Starlink.

 

Furthermore, Havoc AI, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, is now developing 12–45 m platforms integrated with Rampage controls.

The aim is to standardize and scale these designs for the US Navy and Marine Corps, in view of a potential war with China in the Pacific Islands.

The Enemy’s Prospects

Russia is also actively advancing combat USVs and has already twice deployed them against Ukraine, although so far, with no success. According to H.I. Sutton, Russian designs largely imitate Ukrainian models striving to recapture maritime initiative. At present, the RF has seven USV projects exist (none yet adopted), with plans for their serial production and also, four regiments formation within the navy.

Analysis of Russian naval exercises indicates that the enemy acknowledges Ukrainian superiority and the urgent need to counter the threat. During the “July Storm” from July 23–27, 2025, Baltic Fleet vessels for the first time, practiced defense against unmanned surface attacks.

Moscow views naval drones as terrorist weapons it can potentially use in the Baltic Sea. Experts warn that from Kaliningrad, Russia could threaten not only vessels, but also critical maritime infrastructure of coastal EU and NATO nations, which still lack sufficient countermeasures, potentially encouraging aggression.

Given these facts, Ukraine, currently recognized as a leader in unmanned vessel technology and tactics, should assist European partners in closing the respective technological gaps. Such a strategy would attract EU Defense Fund support, expand unmanned vessel production in NATO and EU countries, buy critical time, and above all — discourage Moscow from continuing its aggression.

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This publication has been produced with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.