Ukraine Releases Video of Drone Boat-Launched Drone Attacks
Ukraine's military intelligence division has released a new video of drone attacks on multiple targets in Crimea, including what appears to be a confirmation of a previously-reported attack on an offshore tug that Russia captured from Ukraine in 2014.
The three-minute video is a compilation of first-person-view drone footage from strikes on Russian equipment in occupied Crimea, primarily Russian military radar and air defense sites. Notable targets include S-300 and Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems, giant Nebo-M mobile air defense radars, and an Mi-8 helicopter.
Also shown was an attempted attack on the Fedor Uryupin, first reported by partisan channel Crimean Wind in December 2024. According to the channel, the UAV struck the Uryupin above the waterline, causing damage but not sinking the vessel. The video shows the drone approaching the tug, but cuts out before impact (common for video feeds from weaponized FPV drones).
The Ukrainian intelligence released an highly impressive video, showing the destruction of dozens of highly value targets positioned in Russian-occupied Crimea. It has been executed by long-range drones, possibly launched from USVs in the Black Sea.
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) March 19, 2025
The following targets were… pic.twitter.com/e3Sb4qaIm3
The Uryupin was built in 2010 and operated by Ukrainian state-run oil and gas company Chornomornaftogaz in a commercial offshore services role. The vessel was captured by Russia in the 2014 occupation of Crimea.
Open source analyst Oliver Alexander identified the Ukrainian attacks as the work of drone boat-launched first person view (FPV) drones - unmanned aerial drones launched by miniature unmanned "aircraft carriers." Because of the long distance from Ukraine's front lines to Crimea, and the short range of human-controlled FPVs, multiple analysts suggest that the attacks likely originated from platforms off the coast, meaning Ukrainian drone boats.
Ukraine has used FPV drone-launching drone boats in previous strikes, according to Russian war analysts.