Ukraine’s Sea Babies are once again changing naval warfare

Ukraine’s navy, mainly consisting of unmanned drones, has significantly upgraded its domestically produced Sea Baby unmanned surface vessels (USVs), which can now also carry unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Ukrainian navy posted footage of a recent mission using the new combination against Russian oil platforms in the Black Sea.

Various cameras and thermal sensors captured footage of the encounter. In one shot, a first-person view –– or FPV –– drone targets Russian soldiers on a platform, which later experiences rapid disintegration.

Ukraine's strategic operations in the Black Sea have significantly weakened Russia's naval power, destroying the missile ship 'Ivanovets' and reducing the Russian fleet by 20%, despite Ukraine's lack of warships. https://t.co/uFoEdu0OA2

— Straight Arrow News (@StraightArrow__) February 2, 2024

Ukraine’s Sea Baby drones enjoy a hallowed reputation, having attacked and sunk so many ships in Russia’s Black Sea fleet that Russia essentially abandoned naval operations there.

Sea Babies were also used in attacks on the Kerch Bridge. When Ukraine mounted Grad rockets on them, the USVs proved capable of attacking troops and equipment on land or in the air.

In another recent innovation, Ukraine equipped some Sea Babies with high-caliber machine guns, turning the tables on Russian aircraft. Ukraine’s security service intercepted Russian communications during and after the encounter, which reportedly ended in several casualties aboard Russian helicopters, with the vehicles now requiring extensive repairs.

Now that Ukraine can launch aerial attack vehicles from its Sea Babies, the list of potential targets has grown even more significant.

Ukraine is leading the charge in real-time unmanned aerial vehicle innovations. Its army of drones can deploy Claymores from the air, dropping thermite on enemy positions and downing enemy surveillance drones. Now, they’re helping take out multibillion dollar facilities, a significant development for a country that was supposed to fall in three days almost three years ago.