Russian leaders hope to cut Ukraine off from access to the sea—an objective that may have led Moscow to design its newest naval drone.
Last week, the Russian Navy showed off its capabilities in a big display known as the “July Storm” naval wargames in the Black Sea. Operating out of the Black Sea Fleet’s homebase at Sevastopol, the Russian Navy deployed a new unmanned surface drone laden with explosives. During the course of the exercises, that new drone obliterated simulated targets.
By all appearances, the Russian surface drone looked very similar to the surface drones that Ukraine has been using to great effect against Russian naval targets in the Black Sea since the war began in February 2022.
What Do We Know About Russia’s New Naval Drone?
Video recordings made by the Russian Navy during the “July Storm” wargames show an entirely uncrewed vessel zipping toward a floating target and exploding shortly thereafter, annihilating the floating target—and creating the biggest fireworks display on the Black Sea since Ukraine sank the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the Moskva, in the spring of 2022.
Specific information about these new Russian unmanned surface drones is lacking. All that can be determined is that which is displayed in the video. Naturally, the Russian Navy has a vested interest in showcasing only the success of the platform in question; any videos of the drone underperforming likely never saw the light of day.
Still, there is reason to suspect that the Russians are on to something. Since the onset of war in February 2022, both Moscow and Kyiv have made spectacular strides in the domain of unmanned combat systems. Pro-Kremlin bloggers claim that Russia’s new drone can operate for at least a day without needing to recharge its batteries or return to a friendly port, and is capable of hitting targets of up to 186 miles away.
Russia Could Use the Drone Against Ukraine’s Ports
As Army-Recognition.com, a defense trade publication, indicates in its exclusive reporting on the matter, the drone’s alleged range “would place ports like Odesa or Izmail within reach from occupied Crimea.” While this has yet to be proven, Kyiv should likely err on the side of caution and take Russia’s claims about the capabilities of this specific system at face value—if only because of how effective previous iterations of Russian drones have proven throughout the course of the war.
Drones are the future of warfare. They are ubiquitous in any modern conflict: Ukraine, India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the various low-level fights in the Middle East, and even the current conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Militaries that are actively engaged in the kind of warfare that Russia is engaged in have an advantage in terms of rapid capabilities enhancements that militaries not directly involved in warfare lack.
Plus, this newfound capability merges well with Russia’s strategic objective of capturing Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port. While Russia is not necessarily interested in capturing all of Ukraine—an inconvenient fact that is largely hushed up in Washington and Brussels—the Kremlin has an abiding interest in controlling Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea. Russian leaders hope to cut Ukraine off from access to the sea altogether, thereby turning the western part of Ukraine into a rump state with little political or economic power. The new drones Russia is displaying will help Moscow to achieve his objective.
So the West should not dismiss the claims made by the Russians and their allies about this new surface drone simply because there is lack of verification. If the drone is as potent as the Russians say it is, that verification will likely come in the near future.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Alexander Khitrov.
