Innovative Sea Drones of Ukraine: A New Chapter in Combat Against Aggression

On Wednesday, May 14, the team from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense (GUR) showcased new sea drones that have already proven effective, destroying numerous Russian military targets, including ships and aircraft, according to a journalist from the Kyiv Post who attended the event at a secret location in the capital.

The Magura sea drones represent a new technological weapon that has enabled the special forces of GUR Group 13 to shift the balance of power in the Black Sea in favor of Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of GUR, was also present at the secret presentation.

This was the first public demonstration of the series of strike sea drones Magura:

• the renowned Magura V5, Ukraine's main sea drone, capable of carrying up to 320 kg of payload and armed with a machine gun for combating the Russian Black Sea fleet.
• the multifunctional Magura V6P, with a range of up to 540 nautical miles.
• the missile-carrying Magura V7, which has historically destroyed an enemy combat aircraft, capable of carrying 650 kg of payload and with a range of up to 800 nautical miles.
• the model Magura V7 equipped with a combat machine gun module.

The Magura sea drones are an advanced technological weapon that has strategically turned the tide in the Black Sea in favor of Ukraine.

The operators from the unit present at the event assure that this is just the beginning for the Russian fleet, emphasizing that the future of warfare lies in advanced technologies.

“We can confidently state that the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Group 13, have pushed the Russian Black Sea fleet back to their bases.

They are limited in their actions and are not carrying out any assigned missions,” said the commander of Group 13, known by the call sign “Thirteenth”.

“On December 31, 2024, I believe a turning point occurred in the history of the fleet — two Russian Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed, one was damaged. Also, as you know, we destroyed two aircraft.”

Over two years of combat use of various modifications of the sea drone Magura, the Ukrainian military intelligence has destroyed or incapacitated 17 Russian naval and aerial targets, including two Mi-8 helicopters, two Su-30 fighters, and large ships of the Russian Black Sea fleet — “Sergey Kotov”, “Ivanovets”, “Tsezar Kunikov”, among others. The total enemy losses are estimated at over 500 million dollars.

The Russian fleet continues to unlawfully operate in Ukrainian waters, primarily in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.

Ukrainian forces regularly strike at military vessels and bases of the Russian Black Sea fleet using precision missiles, sea drones, and UAVs. These strikes have compelled Russia to partially relocate some of its ships from Crimea to Novorossiysk.