Russians have implemented a new strategy to counter Ukrainian sea drones in the Black Sea.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet utilized a missile drone to destroy a Ukrainian naval drone. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that the Russians may have developed a new method to counter Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea.

According to an ISW report, on February 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Black Sea Fleet allegedly destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone using the strike drone "Kronstadt Orion."

As per claims from so-called Russian "military correspondents," the Russian military launched a missile drone from a military ship for the first time. This may indicate that the enemy is seeking new ways to combat Ukrainian naval drones, which have inflicted significant losses on the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

One of the Russian "military correspondents" insists on increasing the production of weapons similar to the X-UAV missiles (TKB-1030) to effectively counter Ukrainian naval drones.

"Ukrainian forces have demonstrated their capability to shoot down Russian Mi-8 helicopters over the Black Sea with missiles launched from Magura V5 strike naval drones, and the strike by the Black Sea Fleet on February 1 indicates that Russian forces have developed a new method to attempt to neutralize this Ukrainian adaptation of naval drones," analysts state.

It is worth noting that Magura V5 is a Ukrainian multipurpose surface drone developed for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. The drone has been recognized as the most effective during the Russo-Ukrainian war. As of July 2024, the Magura V5 drones have targeted 14 Russian ships, 8 of which have been completely destroyed. These drones can also be employed for surveillance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search and rescue operations, mine countermeasures, and maritime fleet protection.

Losses of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

Since the onset of the full-scale war, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has lost about a third of its ships due to Ukrainian strikes. Ukrainian units have incapacitated 28 enemy ships and boats, as well as one submarine.

On January 8, the Russian Federation finally refused to repair its military ships at facilities in Crimea due to the threat of Ukrainian strikes against them, as reported by the spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk.

On January 11, drones attacked the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk. Novorossiysk has become the main base for the Russian Black Sea Fleet after a series of successful attacks on their vessels in temporarily occupied Crimea.