The U.S. Used A Ukrainian Naval Drone—which Had Sunk 10 Russian Ships—in Military Exercises For The First Time

Bloomberg has revealed the details.

The “drone war”—which Ukraine’s confrontation with Russia has largely become—is changing approaches to military conflicts both on land and at sea. Having become the undisputed leader in both domains, Ukraine has begun exporting its technologies and sharing them with its allies. During unannounced exercises in the Philippines in April, U.S. special forces deployed maritime drones against a decommissioned ship serving as a target. This marked the first test in the Indo-Pacific region of Magura-class unmanned surface vessels, developed in Ukraine and used to deadly effect against the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet, writes Bloomberg, which reviewed footage of the operation.

Magura drones sank about 10 Russian warships. Moreover, they became the first maritime drones to strike aerial targets. The latest models can be equipped with two missiles. And on December 31, 2024, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by such a missile near Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. And in May 2025, according to the agency, a drone shot down a Su-30 fighter jet with a missile near Novorossiysk; this information was confirmed by Russian military correspondents.

Magura’s successes on the Ukrainian-Russian front confirm their value for use in the Indo-Pacific region, Oleg Roginsky , CEO of the London-based startup Uforce, which manufactures these maritime drones, told Bloomberg. According to him, Uforce is in talks to supply its drones to countries in the Indo-Pacific region and is considering the possibility of building at least two manufacturing facilities there.

The “combat-proven effectiveness” of Magura drones is “an absolutely key factor for further progress in this field,” Roginsky noted.

While aerial drones were primarily used in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, maritime drones will play a key role in the Indo-Pacific region—especially given China’s plans to bring Taiwan under its control. In April, Captain Garrett Miller, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron, stated that by 2030 in this region, he estimates that thousands of small unmanned surface vessels will be deployed in the region.

“These are exactly the kinds of systems we need most—numerous, resilient, and relatively affordable. They will help deny China the ability to use the waters around Taiwan and the first island chain,” says Thomas Schugart, a former U.S. Navy submarine captain and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, referring to the archipelago stretching from Japan through Taiwan and on into Southeast Asia.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]