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Russian Forces Prepare Crimea Coast for Broader Naval Drone Operations
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![Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko]( "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
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Russian forces in temporarily occupied Crimea are constructing specialized boathouses on the shores of Lake Donuzlav near the settlement of Novoozerne to store uncrewed surface vessels.
Open-source intelligence group CyberBoroshno identified the new infrastructure, noting that while active combat deployment of these naval drones by Russian forces remains limited, the construction points to preparations for a wider rollout of uncrewed maritime capabilities in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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The development follows information released by Ukrainian defense intelligence on August 25 detailing most of Russia’s naval drone models.
According to the defense intelligence agency, the cataloged uncrewed vessels cover a broad range of operational roles, including reconnaissance, patrolling, mine sweeping, strikes against ships and coastal targets, and serving as launch platforms for FPV drones.
During the summer of 2026, Ukraine executed a strategic long-range strike campaign targeting key Russian economic and military infrastructure in temporarily occupied Crimea and beyond.
Under a series of coordinated operations, Ukrainian strike networks systematically degraded Russia's capabilities by striking oil refineries, air defense systems, radar tracking arrays, and drone launchpads—including S-300/S-400 batteries, Bastion missile launch sites, and Shahed storage depots across the Crimean peninsula.
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