Copying Ukraine, Russia has begun using uncrewed boats at sea

(David Kirichenko – ASPI The Strategist) Ukraine’s most significant success in fighting off Russia has arguably been in the Black Sea. It forced Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to withdraw from occupied Crimea and effectively confined much of it to Novorossiysk, more than 500 km by sea from Ukraine-held coast. But Russia is now learning from its mistakes and attempting to deploy unmanned systems at sea more effectively, similar to its 2024 deployment of the elite Rubicon unit for use of advanced aerial drones. When Russia attempted to strangle Ukraine’s economy by blocking grain exports, uncrewed Ukrainian boats helped reopen maritime routes. The Russian fleet eventually had to retreat to Novorossiysk. As Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s former defence intelligence chief, stated: ‘The fleet is fully blocked. And that thing that Russians previously joked about—that Ukraine has no fleet, only a few boats—now they are faced with the same thing.’ – Copying Ukraine, Russia has begun using uncrewed boats at sea | The Strategist