The Black Sea witnessed an unprecedented confrontation, after the Ukrainian Navy announced that its naval drone sank a Russian unmanned boat, in what Kiev described as the first clash of its kind between two unmanned naval vessels.
The Ukrainian Navy said yesterday, Saturday, that reconnaissance operations had detected a Russian unmanned boat in an unspecified area of the Black Sea, according to what was reported by the German news agency DPA.
After spotting the target, the Ukrainian forces launched a naval drone that maneuvered near the Russian boat, before firing at it with a heavy machine gun and sinking it.
The Ukrainian Navy said on the Telegram application: “This is the first naval battle in history between drone boats.”
It also published a video clip showing the shooting and destruction of a small boat, without it being possible to independently verify the identity of the targeted boat.
In recent months, Ukraine and Russia have developed drone boats for multiple purposes, including ships loaded with explosives used to attack ships, as well as naval drones equipped with weapons such as machine guns and missiles.
Ukraine also says it is operating ships capable of carrying short-range drones, with the aim of approaching the Russian coast.
