Ukraine's unmanned Magura vessels rewrite naval warfare's rules —and down Russian jets

Naval warfare will never be the same after the Russo-Ukrainian war. Ukraine’s naval drones have sparked a revolution in the history of warfare, writes Julian McBride, the founder and director of the Reflecting on War Initiative for 19FortyFive.

Ukraine’s marine drones have allowed Kyiv to degrade Russia’s naval power despite lacking a traditional navy. Its Magura sea drones have damaged or destroyed a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, forcing the fleet’s withdrawal from Crimea to safer ports like Novorossiysk.

Ukrainian sea drones are creating a new model of warfare that allied nations can learn from. The US, facing off with China in the Indo-Pacific, could apply Ukraine’s experience to develop its own fleet of maritime UAVs.

Ukraine’s close ties with Japan, Taiwan, and the US allow all three to tap into its cutting-edge drone technology, refined through real combat experience.

Magura-like systems could help deter the PLA Navy near contested islands, support Taiwan in the event of a Chinese blockade or invasion, and bolster Japan’s defense against threats from Moscow over the Kuril Islands and from Beijing. Tokyo is already sharing SAR radar data with Ukraine and could build on this tech to develop maritime drones that dominate both air and sea in the region.

Ukraine’s naval drones have become a key factor in the sea war, evolving into platforms for air defense. Militaries around the world will need to rethink how they protect ships and aircraft in this new era of unmanned threats.

On 3 May, a Russian Su-30 fighter jet was downed near Novorossiysk following a strike by Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Ukrainian intelligence later confirmed the “historic strike” was carried out by fighters from the special operations unit Group 13, using a missile launched from a Magura unmanned surface vessel.

It marked the first time in military history that manned fighter aircraft were shot down by missiles launched from a naval drone.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that another Russian aircraft, a second in one day, had been destroyed during an operation in occupied Crimea.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, confirmed that two Russian Su-30 multirole fighters were shot down in a single day, The War Zone reports. According to him, the aircraft were hit by AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles launched from Magura-7 naval drones. It is primarily designed as an air-to-air missile for fighter jets such as the F-16.

New Czech-Ukrainian pilot school aims to speed up F-16 implementation

Three Magura-7 unmanned boats were used in the attack, two of which fired on the aircraft.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

Ukraine’s unmanned Magura vessels rewrite naval warfare’s rules —and down Russian jets