Ukrainian Sea Drone Armed With RPV-16 Launchers Fires Guided Missile at Russian Rig, Video

Ukrainian naval drones have been equipped with guided missiles and used to strike Russian-held infrastructure in the Black Sea, according to video footage published by Russian military sources on May 2.

The video, reportedly filmed by a reconnaissance drone during an attack on the night of May 1–2, shows a Ukrainian surface drone launching a missile at a gas platform captured by Russian forces. Following the launch, the drone is seen reversing course.

While Ukrainian naval drones have previously been reported to use unguided thermobaric rockets—such as RPV-16 grenade launchers mounted on Sea Baby drones—this footage appears to show a missile correcting its trajectory mid-flight, suggesting the use of a guided system.

The missile’s behavior was described as inconsistent with known Ukrainian configurations. Although the video quality prevents definitive identification, observers have speculated that an anti-tank guided missile may have been used.

A second unmanned vessel in the footage is seen launching a small drone, likely an FPV (First Person View) suicide UAV, possibly intended to assess damage or carry out a follow-up strike.

This development marks a significant evolution in the armament of Ukraine’s unmanned maritime fleet. Ukrainian sea drones have already been deployed with a range of weapons, including machine guns, naval mines, surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, and modular drone carriers capable of launching additional FPV drones.

Such capabilities have expanded Ukraine’s naval drone roles from suicide-style strikes to multi-role operations, including coastal defense, sabotage prevention, and interdiction of enemy naval assets.

The United Kingdom is also advancing support for Ukraine’s maritime drone program. It is currently developing naval drones named “Wasp” and “Snapper,” designed to carry high-explosive fragmentation missiles weighing approximately 80 kilograms with ranges between 30 and 100 kilometers.

Procurement of these systems was scheduled to begin in early 2025, with testing expected by late 2025 or early 2026.

Earlier, France conducted a successful live-fire test of a suicide naval drone modeled after Ukraine’s MAGURA V5, striking a decommissioned barge off the coast of Toulon.

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