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Ukraine Moves Beyond the Black Sea With New Ocean-Going Drone Fleet, Zelenskyy Says
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Ukraine is working on a new generation of naval drones capable of operating in open ocean conditions, marking a potential expansion of its unmanned maritime capabilities beyond the Black Sea.
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According to Ukrinform on March 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s defense industry is advancing toward more durable and long-range maritime systems, including platforms designed for extended operations at sea.
He noted that Ukraine is developing “more stable” unmanned naval systems capable of operating effectively in ocean environments, while also working on underwater drone platforms as part of a broader expansion of unmanned capabilities.
Speaking during an address to the UK Parliament, Zelenskyy highlighted the rapid evolution of Ukraine’s naval drone program since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, stating: “Our naval drones are constantly evolving. We focused on the speed of this development—and we succeeded. We reclaimed our sea.”
According to Ukrinform, Ukraine initially deployed basic one-way attack drones before advancing to more complex systems, including platforms equipped with turrets capable of engaging aerial targets.
He added: “Soon, and not in the distant future, we will have systems capable of operating even in ocean conditions. We are also actively working on underwater systems.”
Ukraine’s current generation of naval drones, including systems such as the Sea Baby platform, has already demonstrated the ability to strike Russian naval assets and infrastructure in the Black Sea.
The next generation of drones is expected to differ significantly in both scale and capability, requiring greater endurance for long-duration missions, enhanced communication and navigation systems, more advanced electro-optical sensors, and electronics capable of sustained operation in harsh maritime conditions.
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine has developed platforms capable of launching additional drones from the sea and striking land-based targets, expanding the operational role of unmanned maritime systems.
Zelenskyy said: “We did not have such a powerful fleet as the United Kingdom. But we pushed Russian warships into distant bays where they are forced to hide from our drones.” Ukraine has become the first country to deploy naval drones at scale in modern warfare, using them to challenge Russia’s Black Sea Fleet despite limited conventional naval assets.
Ukrainian naval drones have also demonstrated their effectiveness during multinational exercises, including NATO’s REPMUS/Dynamic Messenger 2025 drills in Portugal. In one scenario, Ukrainian operators used MAGURA V7 uncrewed surface vessels to carry out a simulated strike on the Portuguese frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida, achieving multiple confirmed “hits” before the crew registered the attack.
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-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
