The developers of the Magura drone-boats have explained the tactics of striking Russian boats and ships.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda’s article Find and sink. How Ukrainian spy chief’s Magura drones destroy Russian ships (English translation to follow shortly)

Details: The developers report that on the night of 9-10 November 2023, for the first time, the drones of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) fully completed the task for which they were created. Right in the sea near the village of Chornomorske off the Crimean coast, the Magura drones tracked down and jointly hit two Russian fast landing boats: Serna and Akula.

This operation first demonstrated the hunting nature of the Magura drones. Two subsequent missions of these drones only further revealed their potential. On 1 February 2024, they sank the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets, and on 14 February, the landing ship Tsezar Kunikov.

Quote from one of the Magura’s developers: “Previously, the number of drones was smaller, and the main task was simply to hit a warship, but now they operate in groups of more than five. This allows us to distribute roles in the group, determine the order of attack, etc.”

“The main objective of the first phase is to immobilise the target, so the initial strike is usually on the engines. In the second phase, the strikes are aimed at the most vulnerable part of the ship. They are determined in advance when studying the target during mission planning. If we manage to create a breach, the next strikes are aimed at the same spot.”

Details: The third and final phase, the developers say, is “watching the ship sink”.

Read more about how the Magura surface drones appeared, the Russian targets they have captured, and Ukrainian Defence Intelligence’s competition with the Security Service of Ukraine in the Ukrainska Pravda article (English translation to follow shortly).

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