The Ukrainian Navy says a drone boat kills drone boat in the Black Sea, claiming one of its uncrewed surface vessels sank a Russian counterpart in what it describes as the first such engagement. Ukraine has leaned heavily on armed and explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, prompting relocations of Russian assets from occupied Crimea to Russian mainland ports. Officials say weaponized USVs are spreading rapidly worldwide.
The navy did not provide the exact time or location of the incident beyond saying it occurred somewhere in the Black Sea. The claim could not be independently verified, and there is no prior public record of one drone boat destroying another.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, target detection came from units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. A Sargan 3000 unmanned boat, fitted with a Protector 12.7 mm remotely operated weapon station, engaged and destroyed a Russian USV. The service called it the first naval battle in history between unmanned boats.
Ukraine released an 81-second video beginning with footage from the Sargan 3000’s onboard camera. It shows the Ukrainian USV tracking and firing on the Russian craft with a heavy machine gun, followed by a closer view of the Protector system engaging. Around the 30-second mark, the perspective switches to an aerial platform of unclear type. The Ukrainian vessel continues to strike the target until debris flies off and the Russian USV sinks stern first.
The Sargan 3000, whose name translates as needlefish, was introduced by President Volodymyr Zelensky in April as a multipurpose platform that had completed testing and entered naval service. He said the highly maneuverable uncrewed vessels are capable of strike missions.
Russian reporting has described the system as initially conceived as a one-way attack platform that later evolved to carry remote-controlled weapons.
That reporting also notes a specialized low-profile hull with hydrodynamic lines and materials to reduce radar signature. The Sargan 3000 uses a waterjet propulsion system, reportedly diesel or hybrid, to extend range.
Open-source technical details say the Sargan 3000 measures about 6.9 meters in length and 2.2 meters in beam, has an operational radius of up to 1,600 kilometers, can carry roughly 450 kilograms, and travels at about 40 to 55 knots.
During operations, the vessel links into Ukraine’s Delta situational awareness system, enabling real-time target data, video, and telemetry for operators. It reportedly has multi-channel control with redundant satellite communications over secure commercial Western networks and NATO military networks.
The platform is also described as having autonomous inertial and optical navigation to function under GPS jamming, plus electronic countermeasures modules.
Several variants exist, including versions with machine guns, rockets, and FPV drones, as well as electronic warfare and naval mining configurations.
Kongsberg manufactures the Protector remote weapon station used on the Sargan 3000.
The Sargan 3000’s first publicly acknowledged combat use came in July, when the Ukrainian Navy said one of the vessels destroyed the Russian Federal Security Service border guard ship Izumrud near Novorossiysk. The service reported fatalities and injuries among the crew. It was not clear if the USV acted as a one-way attack craft or as a weapons platform, though the former was considered more likely.
One sea drone disabling another is a significant step given the damage USVs can inflict and the difficulty of countering them at sea. Such platforms can patrol for extended periods, potentially hunt hostile drone boats, or serve as pickets to protect harbors and ships that have faced USV attacks.
Drone boat kills drone boat marks a shift in naval tactics
The Russian USV in the video was not identified and did not appear to be armed.
Weaponized USVs were first used operationally by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, including a 2017 attack in which an explosive-laden craft hit a Saudi frigate. Iran previously developed rudimentary one-way attack USVs that later appeared with its Houthi partners in the Red Sea.
Ukraine pushed the technology further, starting with kamikaze roles, then adding machine guns, rockets, and later missiles credited with downing Russian helicopters and jets. Ukrainian USVs have also been used to launch FPV and bomber drone attacks and to deliver uncrewed ground vehicles behind Russian lines.
Russia has fielded its own sea drones and launched its first reported USV attack on a Ukrainian vessel in August 2025.
In July, U.S. Central Command said American forces used one-way attack surface drones for the first time, striking a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran at Bandar Abbas.
If Ukraine’s claim holds, this Black Sea engagement marks a milestone. In this case, the target appears to have been unable to return fire. With rapid development on both sides in the Ukraine war, a duel between armed drone boats could soon follow.
Similar efforts to expand uncrewed capabilities include systems like the MARS USV gains modular payload cassette system, which reflects broader trends in naval and maritime drone development.