Trends in Unmanned Maritime Systems in the Ukraine War
The Unmanned Surface Vehicles Brigade, established by Ukraine in August 2023, was the world's first
“Magura“ sea drone is seen during its presentation in Kyiv, Ukraine on an undisclosed date on May, 2025. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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The Russia-Ukraine war, which has been ongoing for over three years, has become the strongest driving force for military technological innovation. The war’s trajectory has directly influenced defense industry investments, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), precision-guided artillery systems, and electronic warfare technologies being prominent examples of this transformation.
However, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have had a decisive impact on the naval front of the war despite remaining in the shadow of all these systems. This points to a critical military technological development.
In this regard, the recent discovery of a Ukrainian Magura V5 USV drifting towards the Trabzon coast by Turkish fishermen was a noteworthy event, both symbolically and technically.
Ukraine’s unmanned maritime systems and operational objectives
The Magura V5 is a new generation member of Ukraine’s series of unmanned maritime vehicles, located off the coast of Trabzon. Previous versions include the V3 and the most recent V7. The Magura V5 is capable of firing the Russian-made R-73 air-to-air missile, which has been modified for this purpose. In fact, Ukraine announced that it shot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over the Black Sea in December 2024 with an R-73 missile launched from a Magura V5 platform. However, no such munitions were found in the V5 that washed ashore in Trabzon. Instead, it was determined that the vehicle was loaded with explosives. This suggests that the USV was on a kamikaze mission.
Ukraine’s shift toward unmanned naval systems began in the first year of the war. For Ukraine, which lacks a conventional navy, such systems gained strategic importance early on because they enable asymmetric naval warfare. In October 2022, for example, Ukraine carried out a coordinated attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol using USVs and UAVs. The fleet’s flagship, the Admiral Makarov, and the minesweeper Ivan Golubets were damaged as a result of this operation. Russia described this attack as the largest naval operation against its fleet since the invasion began.
Following this success, Ukraine invested heavily in unmanned surface vehicles (USV) technology. In a short time, a wide variety of naval targets were added to the USVs target list, including frigates, intelligence and mine-hunting vessels, as well as aircraft and helicopters. According to Ukrainian officials, the ships Sergey Kotov, Ivanovets, and Ceasar Kunikov were hit in these attacks, as were two Mi-8 helicopters and two Su-25 fighter jets.
Following these successes, Ukraine established an institutional structure for USVs. The Unmanned Surface Vehicles Brigade, established in August 2023, was the world’s first. This structure, which integrates the navy and intelligence units, has played a critical role in designing new platforms and developing usage concepts.
Finally, the V7 version of the Magura was able to carry FPV drones and fire AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. In May 2025, Ukraine announced that it had shot down two Russian Su-30 aircraft with this system.
Turkey’s USV capabilities and areas of development
The rapid advancement of unmanned maritime technologies is being closely monitored worldwide. Turkey has also gained significant momentum in this field. The country’s first indigenous USV systems, Marlin and Ulaq, reached an important milestone when they participated in NATO exercises.
Other platforms, such as Salvo, Albatros, Sancar, Mir, and Çaka, are also part of Turkey’s growing USV inventory. These systems range from 10 to 15 meters in length and can operate within a range of 300 to 600 kilometers. They are used for surface warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and surveillance.
Recently, Turkish USVs successfully fired domestically produced Çakır, Cirit, L-UMTAS, and Kuzgun missiles. Some models have gained torpedo-firing capabilities, and the Albatros and Çaka systems are reportedly being used in kamikaze roles. Furthermore, Turkish engineers are developing technology to launch UAVs and FPV drones from naval platforms.
Similar to Turkey’s success with unmanned aerial systems, these developments demonstrate its ability to create a broad product family in the USV field. These developments have the potential to generate new export opportunities for the Turkish defense industry.
The future of autonomy at sea
The war in Ukraine demonstrates that unmanned systems are changing the dynamics of combat, including naval warfare. Ukraine broke the naval blockade imposed by the Russian Black Sea Fleet through USV operations, severely restricting the mobility of Russian ships.
This situation shows that asymmetric naval engagements can effectively deter large naval forces. The doctrine of sea denial is expected to become increasingly important in the future.
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and autonomy are expected to extend this process to the underwater dimension. Ukraine’s Marichka and Toloka underwater maritime systems, which are currently under development, could pose a significant threat to submarines and surface vessels in the future. Similarly, Turkey’s projects, such as the Neta 300 demonstrate its interest in this field.
Alongside these developments, new advances in acoustic detection systems, such as maritime patrol aircraft and sonobuoys, are to be expected. Increasing autonomy at sea will compel major powers that embrace the doctrines of sea control and sea command to develop new defense strategies.
Consequently, it is foreseeable that unmanned surface and underwater systems will play a decisive role in future naval warfare in regions such as the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, where US-China competition is concentrated.
(Originally published in Turkish by Kriter)
