Ukraine’s Black Sea Underwater Drones: The World’s First Practical Experience

The Black Sea has become the stage of an unprecedented revolution in warfare. With no fleet of its own, Ukraine has unleashed a new weapon — kamikaze underwater drones — that are crippling Russia’s navy and setting a precedent for naval strategies across the globe.

War as a Driver of Maritime Innovation

Between 2023 and 2025, the Black Sea became both a battlefield and a laboratory for innovation. Deprived of a full navy, Ukraine turned weakness into strength by developing a new class of weapon unmatched by any fleet in the world: kamikaze underwater drones with autonomous navigation.

Unlike experimental projects in the United States or China, Ukraine’s drones are not prototypes — they are combat-proven. For the first time in history, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) have been used against enemy warships and port infrastructure, forcing naval strategists to rethink 21st-century doctrines.

Technology on the Battlefield, Not at an Exhibition

Ukrainian underwater drones have withstood Russian airstrikes, harsh hydrological conditions, and heavy electronic warfare. They struck ships of the Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol, attacked amphibious assets in Novorossiysk, and in some cases operated jointly with surface drones, creating synchronized swarms that overwhelmed coastal defenses.

At the core is a sophisticated AI system for autonomous routing, obstacle avoidance, and target identification. Sensors include sonar, infrared cameras, magnetometers, and hull-recognition modules. Some models carry self-destruct mechanisms to prevent capture.

These are not lab experiments but battlefield technologies, tested and refined under fire.

Underwater Asymmetry: Redefining Naval Security

The strategic value of underwater drones lies in cost asymmetry. One Ukrainian drone costs under $500,000, while a frigate or amphibious ship is worth hundreds of millions. Even without sinking a vessel, drones immobilize it, as no commander will risk leaving port without assurances against unseen underwater threats.

The results are evident: since mid-2024, the Russian fleet has virtually ceased operations in the western Black Sea. Evacuations from Crimea have been sporadic, convoys rare, amphibious maneuvers dangerous. Paradoxically, Ukraine, without a navy, stripped Russia of its naval freedom of action — with ideas, not torpedoes.

Marychka: A Weapon of a New Class

The flagship of this underwater revolution is “Marychka”, an autonomous drone believed to have played a central role in the June 3, 2025 attack on the Crimean Bridge, destroying an underwater support more than 10 meters deep. Delivering over a ton of explosives to such a precise location strongly suggests the use of this platform.

Developed by volunteer group AMMO.UKRAINE, Marychka is about six meters long and one meter wide. More important than size is concept: a deep-sea drone capable of striking underwater hulls, bridge supports, ports, or coastal structures. It can lie in wait on the seabed, operate under electronic jamming, and travel more than 1,000 km on an autonomous route.

Western experts, including Turkish analyst Tayfun Ozberk, stress that underwater drones may prove even more dangerous than surface ones. H. I. Sutton highlighted Marychka’s innovative rudder and nose fairing as evidence that Ukraine has created the world’s first operational deep-water kamikaze drone — not in a lab, but under wartime necessity.

With production costs around $400,000, serial production could create an underwater fleet — a navy without sailors. Ukraine is the first state to envision and implement this future.

Export Potential and Strategic Industry

These drones are not only battlefield weapons but also potential exports. Beyond NATO, countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East facing coastal security challenges could find them useful for surveillance, port protection, anti-piracy, or infrastructure defense.

Nations without major navies but in need of deterrence — Poland, Romania, Georgia, the Baltic states — are prime candidates. Integrated with NATO’s sensor and AI systems, Ukrainian drones could serve as both export products and platforms for joint technological development.

For Ukraine’s reconstruction, this sector offers more than military utility: it is a high-tech growth industry combining engineering, AI, electronics, and mechatronics. Small Ukrainian firms and volunteer bureaus already contribute but need state contracts and funding to scale.

Crucially, these technologies could form the basis of new coalitions. If allies are reluctant to provide frigates or submarines, they can co-produce drones that have already proven decisive in war. Ukraine, in this domain, does not have to ask — it can offer.

Bohdan Popov, Head of Digital at the United Ukraine Think Tank, communications specialist and public figure