Ukraine admits Russia has overcome suicide boat tactics

Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have found ways to effectively counter Kiev's suicide boats and the country needs to change tactics.

"We use suicide unmanned surface vessels (USVs) technology, and the enemy also studies ways to counter it. Some tricks and tactics that were effective in 2022 and 2023 will no longer be so effective in 2024. We need to change tactics," Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on January 11.

According to Mr. Neizhpapa, unmanned vehicles, including USVs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will play a key role in the coming stages of the war and the Ukrainian army will have to constantly innovate and adjust its strategy to gain an advantage over Russia in this field.

"Russia's defense industry is very strong and the country never spares money when buying weapons. We will face a very difficult war on unmanned equipment ahead," the Ukrainian navy commander said.

Kiev has repeatedly attacked Russia's Black Sea Fleet with USVs in 2023. Last November, Ukrainian intelligence claimed to have used suicide boats to attack two small Russian landing ships near the Crimean peninsula, damaging both ships.

The country also said it used the Sea Baby USV to attack a Russian patrol boat near the port city of Sevastopol a month earlier, as well as attack the Kerch bridge on the peninsula in August of the same year.

A Ukrainian unmanned boat captured by Russia in Crimea on November 22. Photo: Telegram/Voyenny Osvedomitel — A Ukrainian unmanned boat captured by Russia in Crimea on November 22, 2023. Photo: *Telegram/Voyenny Osvedomitel*

According to a report last October by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine’s attacks with USVs, UAVs and long-range missiles have forced the Black Sea Fleet to disperse some of its forces in the Crimean peninsula to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, more than 300 km east of the old location.

Oleksiy Danilov, head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO), said late last month that about 20% of the Black Sea Fleet's forces had "disappeared" after being repeatedly hit by Kiev.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is also actively looking to improve its suicide boats to better penetrate Russian defenses. Earlier this year, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that it had used the Sea Baby suicide boat equipped with a rocket launcher for the first time to attack Russian warships near the Crimean peninsula.

A Ukrainian official said Kiev is aiming to build a force of multi-purpose unmanned boats, which can be equipped with guns, air defense systems or carry out suicide attacks, to replace large warships.