Ukraine says its drone boat just hit Russian radar sites, and this could change coastal warfare forever. | Daily Reports Online
- Ukraine used a MAGURA drone boat to launch FPV drones against Crimea
- The operation reportedly struck equipment linked to two Russian radar systems
- MAGURA carried smaller drones toward Russian military installations along Crimea’s coastline
Group 13, a special military unit of the Ukrainian navy, claims to have struck Russian radar installations in Crimea.
The operation used MAGURA, an unmanned Ukrainian surface vessel carrying FPV drones and developed for reconnaissance, surveillance, mine warfare, and other naval security missions.
According to Ukrainian officials, the system allowed smaller drones to attack Russian military equipment from a sea-based launch platform.
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MAGURA carries drones toward Crimean radar installations
During the operation, a MAGURA vessel carried FPV drones that were deployed against Russian radar-related equipment located along the Crimean coast.
Ukrainian officials identified components of the Podlyot radar complex and the Parol-4 radar interrogator among the systems attacked.
The reported mission expands the potential use of naval drones beyond direct attacks against ships and other maritime objectives.
“Now, our MAGURAs threaten the Russian occupiers and on land — this is a radical shift in the fight,” said a Group 13 commander.
Group 13 has previously claimed responsibility for destroying more than nine Russian ships during operations conducted around the Black Sea.
The unit has also claimed strikes against three helicopters and two fighter aircraft, although battlefield damage assessments remain difficult to verify independently.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on unmanned systems to conduct operations against Russian military assets while limiting direct exposure of personnel.
The reported deployment gives Ukraine another way to move smaller attack drones toward military installations located beyond the immediate coastline.
Instead of using MAGURA solely against maritime targets, Ukrainian forces used the vessel to transport aircraft intended for attacks on land.
That arrangement separates the launch platform from the FPV drones that conduct the final strike against the intended military equipment.
It also allows the vessel to approach an area without requiring a crewed aircraft or surface ship to carry the drones.
Spets Techno Export says the MAGURA family was designed around a remotely operated architecture suitable for different missions at sea.
According to information from the developer, the V5 variant incorporates a hydrodynamic hull intended to improve maneuverability.
The platform can also be deployed from remote locations, allowing operators to conduct missions without placing personnel directly aboard the vessel.
Ukraine’s ambitious push to become a global drone powerhouse
The MAGURA strike is one part of a far larger buildup, as Ukraine works to scale unmanned warfare production nationwide.
The Eastern European country has clearly stated its ambitions to become the world’s largest drone and robot producer, with a capacity that could exceed 30 million units annually.
That figure would reportedly surpass the combined output of China, Russia, and the United States, according to Kyiv’s own projections.
Ukrainian officials have confirmed plans to build 10 million drones in 2026, rising toward 20 million in the years that follow.
Those figures accompany a newly signed $1.1 billion drone agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine’s drone ambition goes beyond developing new models, extending to converting old civilian aircraft into reusable armed drones.
Ukraine has increasingly combined different unmanned systems, using surface vessels and aircraft together during operations against Russian military assets.
Via The DroneFront
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