Ukraine developing naval drones to constrain Russian shipping
Katran USV design (Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov / Telegram)
Ukraine is currently developing new naval
drones designed to intercept and effectively detain Russian commercial
vessels in the Black Sea, Business Insider reported
on June 24.
Citing an officer with Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), the report said the goal of the project is to choke the flow of sanctioned goods transported by Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
“Its purpose is not to destroy oil tankers or grain carriers transporting sanctioned goods,” Business Insider quoted the source.
“… [it is] to detain and tow them into port.”
“If they comply, they will be escorted to a designated port where the vessel and cargo can be seized under international law. If they refuse, other measures may follow,” he said, suggesting that the USVs could sink a noncompliant vessel “in seconds.”
The modification is being developed for the multipurpose Katran drone by the Ukrainian company Military Armored Company HUB, according to the HUR officer.
HUR envisages an ecosystem of drones: some will control
airspace, others will suppress a ship’s deck and crew, and the Katrans will act
as escort vessels. The Katran was first described in March 2025 by Mykhailo
Fedorov, then Minister for Digital Transformation and now Defense Minister, as
capable of striking targets at sea, on land, and in the air. The drone
originally served as a loitering munition and has already been upgraded with
machine guns and anti-air missiles.
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