Ukrainian suicide boats attack in swarms, forming a battle formation to take down Russian warship

Xuồng tự sát Ukraine tập kích bầy đàn, lập thế trận hạ chiến hạm Nga - 1 — A Ukrainian Sea Baby suicide boat (Photo: Ukrainian Army).

Ukrainian navy suicide boats chased the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s missile corvette Sergei Kotov on March 5, causing heavy damage before sinking the 1,700-ton vessel outside the port of Feodosiya in southeastern Crimea.

The Sea Baby drone attack extended a remarkable string of attacks by a navy that no longer has many warships but still claims to have destroyed a series of large warships of the Black Sea Fleet.

Ukraine's Sea Baby drone boat is considered increasingly dangerous.

Instead of trying to penetrate Russian warship anchorages singly or in small groups, the satellite-controlled drone boats attack “in wolf packs” at night, much like German submarines did during World War II.

But where German submarines moved in “swarms,” they attacked individually, with each commander choosing his own target and approach. In contrast, the Ukrainian Sea Baby operators appeared to closely coordinate their attacks, deploying concentrated, even swarming Russian warships.

Moment Russian warship engages Ukrainian suicide boat in close combat

The coordinated tactic was evident in a recent attack, when Sea Babies attacked the Sergei Kotov under the cover of darkness. The crew of the Russian warship spotted several Sea Babies speeding up from behind. The crew immediately opened fire.

But footage of the attack shows a second group of drone boats taking advantage of the distraction of the Russian soldiers on board and attacking from the unprotected side of the ship.

The Ukrainian drones do not appear to have actually attacked the Sergei Kotov. Rather, they lured the Russian warship into open waters just outside Feodosiya. There, another group of Sea Babies was waiting. It was this second group of drones that attacked the Russian ship.

The previous attack by Sea Baby drones on the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov off southern Crimea on the night of February 14 used similar tactics, according to one of the landing ship's crew members.

But instead of pressing Caesar Kunikov, the unmanned boats overwhelmed the 4,100-ton ship. “The battle lasted 20 minutes,” the survivor recalled.

"Four of the 10 unmanned boats of the (Ukrainian) navy were destroyed. The fifth unmanned boat hit the Caesar Kunikov at the stern, causing the ship to become immobile, then unmanned boats 6, 7, 8, 9 hit the ship in turn on the left side of the ship and closer to the stern, with the aim of capsizing the ship," the crew member said.

Ukraine "shows off" suicide boat named Avdiivka, attack range 1,000km

Ukraine's unmanned boats are increasingly becoming a greater threat to Russia, a country with a navy far superior to its opponent.

Ukraine began using explosive-laden drone boats in 2022 and claimed to have broken Russia's dominance in the Black Sea by attacking a series of Moscow's warships and military infrastructure.

Last month, Ukraine said it had destroyed or damaged dozens of Russian warships since the conflict began. Ukraine estimates it has eliminated up to a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

General Ivan Lukashevych of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that the country has upgraded a series of "huge" features on its fleet of unmanned boats, making them "more powerful, more effective and more dangerous" than before. He claimed that Ukraine has created "the world's first USV fleet", revolving around the most famous variant, the Sea Baby.

Experts say the Sea Baby’s low cost and remote operation give Ukraine an advantage in asymmetric warfare against Russia, which often launches large numbers of drones and boats to disrupt Russian defenses and destroy targets.

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