12 September 2026 | 22:22

READ TIME: 1 minute

A Ukrainian naval drone destroyed a Russian sea drone in the Black Sea, in what the Kyiv Navy called the “first-ever naval battle” between unmanned vessels. The operation, The Kyiv Independent reports, was carried out in cooperation with the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Agency (HUR), whose units located the unmanned Russian craft. The Russian drone was destroyed by a Ukrainian Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), a Sargan-3000, equipped with a Protector remote weapon station armed with a 12.7 mm weapon. The drone-on-drone engagement marked a historic first, according to Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Navy has released footage of the first ever battle between a pair of drone boats.

Seen here, a Ukrainian Sargan 3000 USV engages and sinks a Russian USV using its M2 Browning .50 HMG. pic.twitter.com/SoR9wkSebe

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 12, 2026

“This is the first-ever battle between unmanned naval vessels,” the Navy said. Both Ukraine and Russia are increasingly turning to unmanned warfare at sea.

Ukraine has significantly expanded maritime drone operations in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, striking dozens of Russian ships and maritime logistics targets this summer, with 105 Russian vessels hit in the Sea of Azov campaign alone. Russia is also developing and deploying an increasing number of unmanned surface systems. Recent satellite imagery suggested Moscow was constructing what appeared to be its first port dedicated to naval drones in occupied Crimea.