The attempted approach to the Ukrainian coast was detected at about 4 a.m. Several Ukrainian military units were involved in defending the shoreline and engaged the targets in a coordinated operation.
According to the defense minister’s adviser, an inspection of the wreckage and subsequent monitoring confirmed that Russian forces had once again used foreign satellite technology to navigate their unmanned vessels.
“As I said previously, the destroyed boats were equipped with Starlink systems because the enemy has no other long-range control systems,” Serhii Beskrestnov said.
A map published by Beskrestnov showed that the interception and destruction of the enemy unmanned boats took place in the Black Sea south of Ochakiv and the Kinburn Spit, near the coastlines of Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts.
He also thanked all service members involved in neutralizing the threat and protecting Ukraine’s maritime borders.
Ukraine’s maritime campaign against Russia
Overnight on June 4, 2026, drones operated by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces successfully struck a Russian Svetlyak-class border patrol vessel in occupied Crimea. The operation was announced by Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi.
On June 3, Brovdi released footage showing a strike on the Russian Project 20380 patrol corvette Boyky, which was located in Kronstadt near St. Petersburg. Commenting on the attack, he said Ukrainian forces had “slapped the dictatorial regime.”
The strikes followed a series of other reported Russian losses in May. Overnight on May 18, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Project 21980 Grachonok anti-sabotage boat and drone command posts.
Earlier, on May 5, operators from the Defense Intelligence Directorate’s (HUR) Prymary special unit carried out an operation in Crimea that reportedly damaged a Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft, three boats and a Russian support vessel.