Sea Drones: Game Changer on the High Seas

Maritime drone technology is increasingly common on the world's waterways among state and non-state actors alike. We are just starting to see the consequences.

A mockup of the Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drone. Image Source.  

In the early hours of March 5, the Sergey Kotov – a large Russian patrol vessel – navigated the waters of the Kerch Strait, a strategic chokepoint heavily contested between Russia and Ukraine. The estimated $65 million vessel, which was commissioned into Russia’s Black Sea Fleet just two years prior, was a regular target of Ukrainian forces, withstanding two attacks in 2023 alone. Suddenly, the vessel’s crew raised an alarm upon sighting multiple marine drones headed their way. Although crewmembers fired at the drones with heavy machine guns, it was to no avail. An unknown number of Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drones struck the vessel, sinking it and taking the lives of seven crewmembers.