Ukraine admitted that at the end of last month, its forces launched attacks on the Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol in Crimea, CNN reports. It is also reported in Ukraine that through the United24 platform, dedicated to raising funds for a fleet of marine drones, enough funds have been collected for the purchase of the first of 100 drones that will form the fleet of the USV of Ukraine.

A press release from United24, a government platform dedicated to raising funds for a naval drone fleet, states that “on October 29, 2022, mairitme drones struck Russian ships, [într-o operațiune] carried out exclusively by unmanned aerial vehicles”.

The platform said the “small and fast” drones damaged three Russian ships, including the Admiral Makarov, a military frigate that is also the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Russian authorities have acknowledged damage to one dredger, but not to any other vessel. There was no independent confirmation that Makarov was seriously damaged.

Ukraine staged such an attack for the first time after footage was shared on social media that captured the moment Ukrainians attacked the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea and showed one of the drones approaching the Admiral Makarov frigate. .

According to HI Sutton, an independent defense analyst, the type of drone that Ukraine used in October to attack the Russian fleet in Sevastopol is the same one that was found near the base in September.

The crowdfunding site said its goal is to “build a fleet of 100 such maritime drones.” They will protect the waters of our seas, prevent Russian missile carriers from leaving the Persian Gulf, protect merchant ships and carry out secret missions.”

He estimated the cost of each marine drone at $250,000.

“The Russian fleet is constantly terrorizing Ukraine and our cities. 100 multi-purpose surface vehicles will consolidate the success of the Navy after the sinking of the cruiser “Moskva” and the return of the Snake Island. They will also give us the opportunity to better protect both the sea and the entire territory of our country,” noted the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Navy of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neypapa.

The first maritime drone purchased through United24 will be called the Herson

The first USV (unmanned ground vehicle), purchased as part of the United24 government initiative, will be called Herson, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Telegram, Ukrainian Pravda writes.

“Enough funds have been collected for the first USV. It will be called Kherson.

This is a unique and secret Ukrainian development. Included in the price [urmatoarele articole]: a drone equipped with an autopilot system; video subsystems, including night vision; special means of communication, protected from the influence of enemy radio-electronic warfare; spare communication modules and combat unit. Plus an autonomous ground control station, a data transport and storage system, a data center and some special surprises for our enemies.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced this on November 5 will launch a fundraising campaign for a fleet of maritime drones through the United24 online platform,

Have the Ukrainians developed a kamikaze marine drone?

Explosive boats are not a new invention, they were developed by the Italians during World War II and are still used today, most recently by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Its appearance on the beach at Sevastopol in September suggests it has a long enough range to be useful, although Naval News analysts speculate it could also be launched from an aircraft.

Also, due to its small size, close to the size of a kayak, it would have a very difficult radar signature. All the elements visible in the photos also indicate that it is built for high speeds.

The Ukrainians do not report that they have developed such a naval drone, but they are known to have several home-made weapons that they have used against the Russian occupiers. The most famous of them is the “Neptune” anti-ship missile, which was used to sink the “Moscow”, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, in April.

In a July interview, the former commander of the Ukrainian special forces, General Serhii Kryvonos, noted that Ukraine also has rocket launchers of domestic production, the “Vilha” and “Vilha-M” salvo systems are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 120 kilometers.

However, the Ukrainian general then accused that the investments in them were neglected.