Russia has claimed that a Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessel launched a guided missile during a night-time strike on a Russian-occupied offshore gas platform in the Black Sea. The incident reportedly took place in the early hours of 1 to 2 May 2025 and was captured on video by a Russian reconnaissance drone. The footage was later circulated by channels linked to the Russian military.
The video appears to show a Ukrainian naval drone reversing course after firing a missile, with the projectile demonstrating signs of in-flight guidance. This would mark a new level of sophistication in Ukraine’s maritime drone operations. While earlier Ukrainian naval drones, such as the Sea Baby, were known to carry unguided thermobaric rockets like the RPV-16, the recent footage points to the use of a more advanced weapon.
Ukrainian drones have previously been observed carrying R-73 infrared-guided air-to-air missiles repurposed for use against sea and ground targets. One such drone, the Magura, was previously shown with an inclined missile launcher suitable for these weapons. However, analysts who examined the new video noted that the missile’s flight path does not match known systems, suggesting it may be an anti-tank guided missile modified for maritime use.
A second Ukrainian drone in the same footage appeared to deploy a small aerial drone, likely an FPV loitering munition, possibly for assessing the damage or launching a secondary strike. The poor quality of the Russian-released footage prevents a definitive identification of the weapon systems involved, but military analysts believe it indicates Ukraine’s increasing integration of guided weapons into naval drone warfare.
Ukraine’s maritime drones have undergone rapid development since their first use as uncrewed explosive boats. Now capable of carrying various payloads including naval mines, machine guns, surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, loitering munitions, and now potentially guided missiles, these systems can perform a wide range of missions such as coastal strikes, convoy protection, maritime patrol, sabotage, and counter-drone operations. Some even carry smaller drones on board, offering multiple operational capabilities in one platform.
The United Kingdom is also working on supplying Ukraine with its own new line of naval drones, known as Wasp and Snapper. These are being designed to carry guided missiles with high explosive warheads and ranges of between 30 and 100 kilometres. Procurement for these British made systems was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, with full trials set for late 2025 or early 2026.
