Ukrainian officials announced the Stalker 5.0 drone boat during the Black Sea Security Forum (BSSF) held in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on June 14 to 16. It boasts a 60-horsepower speedboat engine that allows it to race at speeds of 46 miles per hour over the sea. Officials also touted the unmanned watercraft's operational range of 372 miles.
The Stalker drone boat can carry explosive payloads of up to 150 kilograms and also features a "logistical mode." But the drone boat isn't just for kamikaze missions as it can transport food, water, military equipment and medical supplies for remote areas.
It can also be utilized for coastal patrols and surveillance. A Starlink satellite internet terminal and high-definition cameras installed on the drone boat provide the operator with a real-time video stream.
According to Great Game India, the Stalker 5.0 drone boat signals Ukraine's strategy to challenge the dominance of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. It also pointed out that the drone boat, alongside Kyiv's rapid development of maritime drones, poses a significant threat to Russian maritime security.
Officials also told participants of the BSSF that the Kerch Bridge, which spans five meters long and 1.2 meters wide, can be targeted using this unmanned watercraft. The bridge connects the annexed Crimea region to mainland Russia, and has been a target of Ukrainian attacks.
Moreover, they also mentioned that the drone boat's logistical mode would prove very helpful to Ukrainian forces on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Resupplying Ukrainian marines with conventional boats as they try to retain the Krynky bridgehead has become more difficult, according to the Telegraph.
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Russian Navy suffers losses to Ukrainian drones
Ukrainian drone warfare on the Black Sea forced the Russian Navy to evacuate, but not without its finest warships being sunk in the process. The battleships were sunk by a combination of unmanned drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the latter under the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOU).
Great Game India cited two examples of Russian Navy warships that were sunk by Ukrainian drones. The Sergey Kotov warship, which entered service in 2022, was allegedly hit by an explosive kamikaze sea drone strike in March. It sunk close to the port town of Feodosia in Crimea.
Meanwhile, the missile ship Ivanovets was likewise sunk by Ukrainian sea drones. A video clip released by the MOU showed the ship under fire in Crimea.
But the SBU's experimental drone strike on the Kerch Bridge last July, which resulted in a massive explosion, nevertheless remains the most notable example of Ukrainian drone warfare. The security service used a Sea Baby drone equipped with up to 850 kg of explosives, approaching the bridge in the dark before smashing into it and launching flying debris into the air. Videos released by the SBU and other Ukrainian sources showed the extent of the attack, which caused a massive explosion.
But the Russians were quick to adapt following the drone attack. Russian coastal targets were surrounded by newly developed drone models, with some equipped with mobile Grad rocket launchers. The Kerch Bridge was also reinforced with atypical defenses, including layers of netting and floating booms, in the expectation that these measures might deter drone strikes in the future. (Related: 6 NATO members attempting to build an ANTI-DRONE WALL along border with Russia.)
Check out DroneWatchNews.com for more stories about the use of drones on the battlefield.
Watch this clip of Ukrainian drones using flamethrowers on Russian ships in the Black Sea.
This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.
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