Ukraine Deploys Rocket-Equipped Naval Drones Against Russian Targets

Ukraine has outfitted naval drones with multiple rocket launching systems, using them to strike Russian positions in the Black Sea. These modified drones contribute to Ukraine's strategy to protect shipping routes and reclaim territory. Russian forces have occupied the targeted areas since February 2022.

Ukraine has equipped some of its naval drones with multiple rocket launching systems and used them to fire at Russian positions in combat, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters on Wednesday. Ukraine, which no longer has any significant warships in its fleet, has used uncrewed naval drones packed with explosives to sail up to Russian warships in the Black Sea, detonating on impact.

The systems have played a part in Kyiv's effort to push back Russian naval vessels from areas of the Black Sea used by commercial vessels to ship Ukrainian exports. The Ukrainian source, who declined to be named, said some "Sea Babies", a model of naval drone used by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), had been equipped with Grad multiple rocket launching systems.

"Today, we can confirm that they (the drones) are equipped with a multiple rocket launch system, and this technological solution is already showing powerful results." The source said the modified drones had been used to attack Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit in Ukraine's southern region of Mykolaiv this week.

Reuters could not independently verify the use of the modified weapons. Russian forces occupied the strip of land in the first year of their full-scale invasion in February 2022.