UAV event in Russian Federation on Thu 5th December 2024

The Ukrainian Navy has released footage which it claims shows Russian-controlled gas platforms off the coast of Crimea being targeted by unmanned surface vehicles, or sea drones.

The unverified two-minute seven second compilation, released on Saturday, showed a number of Ukrainian sea drones making their way toward gas facilities in the Black Sea, followed by large explosions which left at least one platform on fire.

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have made widespread use of unmanned drones during their ongoing war, which began in February 2022 with an all-out invasion by Moscow's forces.

In 2014, Russia seized and annexed Crimea after pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by mass protests, though Western nations refused to recognize the legitimacy of the move.

In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the Ukrainian Navy said: "The hunt for the enemy in the Black Sea continues. Navy naval drones carried out targeted strikes on Russian targets.

"Enemy surveillance systems located on captured gas platforms off the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea were destroyed. The occupiers will not remain on our territory—we will get them everywhere."

The statement did not say when the attack took place, nor did it provide an assessment on the damage caused.

In a novel development, one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) appeared to take off from a Ukrainian sea drone before making its way to an oil platform, where it was seen behind two fleeing figures before the camera cuts out, presumably as the drone exploded.

The drones in use bear a noted resemblance to Ukraine's "Sea Baby" drones, which according to Ukrainian military website Defense Express can carry almost one ton of explosives over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).

Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian and Russian Ministries of Defense for comment on Sunday via email outside of regular office hours.

In a March 2024 statement, the Security Service of Ukraine said the Sea Baby drones, in use since May 2023 according to Defense Express, had undergone further development.

It said: "The Sea Baby 2024 is a new-generation drone that is enhanced and even more lethal for the enemy."

During 2023 and early 2024, Ukraine used its sea drones to devastating effect against Russia's Black Sea Fleet, with Defense Express reporting that up until March 2024 it targeted 11 ships, along with the Kerch Strait bridge.

In May, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine claimed drone attacks had caused $500-million in damage to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, with spokesperson Andriy Yusov describing them to the Kyiv Post as the "main and best weapon available to Ukraine."

On October 23, the Russian government said it had destroyed four Ukrainian sea drones in the Black Sea which were "heading for the Crimean Peninsula." Moscow claimed these drones were part of a larger attack which also saw 10 airborne drones intercepted over the peninsula.

In early November, Ukraine said it used sea drones to target military vessels in the Russian port of Kaspiysk on the Black Sea, hundreds of miles away from the nearest Ukrainian base. According to Ukrainian media, at least two Russian missile ships, the Dagestan and the Tatarstan, were damaged, though this has not been independently confirmed.