Ukraine’s Uncrewed Floor Vessels Are Now Launching Bomber Drones To Assault Crimea

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Ukraine is now utilizing bomber drones launched from unmanned surface vessels (USVs aka drone boats) to assault targets in Crimea. This features a high-value Russian radar set up on peninsula. The strikes mark the most recent iteration of Ukraine’s drone boat campaign that’s stored Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF) at bay and damaged enemy military facilities in occupied Crimea in addition to the Kerch Bridge .

“On the night time of July 1 to 2, 2025, Ukraine’s Southern Protection Forces carried out a superb, high-precision particular operation!,” the Ukrainian MoD claimed on X, including that it destroyed three vital elements of the prized Nebo-M radar system .

The 67-second video posted by the MoD reveals the bomber drones launching from the bow of the ocean drones and dropping a number of munitions on the Russian radars.

💥Ukrainian heavy drones launched from the marine drones bombard Russian radar techniques in Crimea!

Strikes had been carried out on the elements of the Russian "Nebo-M" radar system: •RLM-M 55Zh6M "Nebo-M" •RLM-D 55Zh6M "Nebo-M" •Radar Command Publish (KU RLS) 55Zh6M "Nebo-M" pic.twitter.com/fSr2zCNt8k

— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 3, 2025

The usage of bomber drones launched from sea drones presents some vital benefits. In March, we told you about how the Ukrainian Protection Intelligence Directorate (GUR) used first-person view (FPV) drones launched from drone boats in opposition to Russian radars and surface-to-air missile (SAM) techniques. Utilizing bomber drones offers Ukrainian operators the power to strike a couple of goal per drone with probably heavier warheads than FPV drones can carry. They'll additionally journey farther whereas sustaining their connection, as they don’t must dive to the bottom to hit their targets. As we have reported in the past , Ukraine additionally has bomber drones that may launch guided munitions with a heavier punch.

This growth was not misplaced on Russian army observers.

“The enemy reveals footage of a drone strike with drops on our positions on the western coast,” the favored Russian Two Majors Telegram channel noted . “A single (sea drone) snuck up, and drones had been launched from it. A brand new factor was using drones with drop techniques; thus the enemy achieved a number of strikes from every UAV.”

<img decoding="async" width="955" height="527" loading="lazy" src="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=955" alt="" class="wp-image-6456045" style="width:1024px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg 955w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=300&h=166 300w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=768&h=424 768w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=362&h=200 362w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=725&h=400 725w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=391&h=216 391w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=732&h=404 732w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=280&h=155 280w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=289&h=159 289w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=370&h=204 370w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=308&h=170 308w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Crimea.7.3.25.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 955px) 100vw, 955px"/> A bomb dropped from a Ukrainian drone launched from a sea drone strikes a Russian radar system in Crimea. (Ukrainian MoD screencap)

One of many bomber drones launched by the ocean drone was reportedly later recovered by the Russians.

<img decoding="async" width="650" height="1000" loading="lazy" src="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=650" alt="" class="wp-image-6456064" style="width:1024px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg 650w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=195&h=300 195w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=130&h=200 130w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=429&h=660 429w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=260&h=400 260w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=543&h=836 543w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=449&h=690 449w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=140&h=216 140w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=263&h=404 263w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=581&h=894 581w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=489&h=752 489w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=451&h=694 451w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=280&h=431 280w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=289&h=445 289w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=370&h=569 370w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=308&h=474 308w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/crimea.7.3.25.8.jpg?w=33&h=50 33w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px"/> (Through X)

The drone boat was later destroyed by Russian aviation, Two Majors claimed with out offering visible proof. Nonetheless, they used this incident to hunt better sources for Russian troops in Crimea.

“They know the right way to battle this floating junk, managed by means of Elon Musk’s Starlink, in Crimea and follow it,” Two Majors posited. “You simply want to offer sources to efficient models prepared for unconventional options.”

The communications structure for such an idea would come with a satellite tv for pc communications system on the boat, which they already carry and sometimes a number of sorts without delay, and a direct line-of-sight radio hyperlink from the boat to the drone. This may permit operators to regulate the drone in actual time from anyplace, with the boat working as a platform to launch the drone and likewise as a relay and management node for it.

Ukraine’s drone boat marketing campaign started with kamikaze variants, laden with explosives and set out on one-way missions to hit Russian targets. Ukraine has since made a collection of developments, turning these vessels into reusable anti-aircraft platforms , first-person view (FPV) drone launchers and even gunboats . As we previously noted , Ukraine’s early drone boat assaults on the BSF had been a “wakeup name” marking “a brand new level in unmanned warfare.” The teachings of its ongoing marketing campaign have been noted by the U.S. Navy , Cmdr. Michael Linn mentioned.

In early Could, we were the first to report that Ukraine’s Protection Intelligence Directorate (GUR) used its new Magura V7 USV, armed with a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles, to shoot down a pair of Russian Su-30 Flanker fighters flying over the Black Sea. On the time, all indications had been that this was the legacy AIM-9L/M mannequin, which appeared unusual — extra on that in a second. However now we all know AIM-9Xs had been really used. The Su-30 downing adopted GUR’s claimed downing of a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter over the Black Sea in December utilizing an tailored R-73 (AA-11 Archer) air-to-air missile fired from a Magura V5 USV, an earlier variant of the Magura V7.

You may see the Magura V7 engagement with the Su-30 within the following video.

Past how the weapons had been delivered, this newest assault is critical due to what was focused. The MoD mentioned it destroyed one RLM-M radar, one RLM-D radar and a radar management station.

As we have previously reported , the potential lack of components of the Nebo-M radar system might have important impacts on the power of Russia’s forces to detect, monitor, and try to intercept varied aerial threats, together with ballistic missiles.

The Nebo-M first entered Russian service in 2017. It's a multi-purpose long-range radar system. The manufacturer says it could detect targets out to a most vary of almost 373 miles (600 kilometers) and claims it has not less than some functionality to identify and monitor ballistic threats and even stealthy plane.

From our earlier story : “The RLM-M is a big, road-mobile 3D VHF goal acquisition radar that's carried on an 8×8 truck, and reportedly has a unit cost of $100 million . The RLM-D , which can also be carried on an 8×8 truck, is a equally giant L-band lively electronically scanned array (AESA) air surveillance radar.”

Each could be set as much as feed concentrating on knowledge, through the central command put up automobile, to numerous air protection techniques, including S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missile techniques.

<img decoding="async" width="960" height="544" loading="lazy" src="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=960" alt="" class="wp-image-6456036" srcset="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg 960w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=300&h=170 300w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=768&h=435 768w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=353&h=200 353w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=706&h=400 706w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=381&h=216 381w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=713&h=404 713w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=280&h=159 280w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=289&h=164 289w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=370&h=210 370w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=308&h=175 308w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_45.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px"/> The RLM-M radar system struck by Ukraine earlier this week. (Ukrainian MoD screencap)

<img decoding="async" width="960" height="544" loading="lazy" src="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=960" alt="" class="wp-image-6456039" srcset="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg 960w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=300&h=170 300w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=768&h=435 768w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=353&h=200 353w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=706&h=400 706w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=381&h=216 381w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=713&h=404 713w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=280&h=159 280w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=289&h=164 289w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=370&h=210 370w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=308&h=175 308w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMAGE-2025-07-03-11_55_39.jpg?w=50&h=28 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px"/> RLM-D radar system that was hit in the identical assault. (Ukrainian MoD screencap)

The situation of those radars, on the western-most tip of Crimea, can also be important. Focused as a part of Ukraine’s ongoing marketing campaign to blind Russia, taking them out probably opens extra holes in Russia’s air protection overlay of the peninsula and the northwestern Black Sea. This might go a protracted method to guaranteeing the survivability of standoff strike weapons, like Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, and different assaults, comparable to these by long-range kamikaze drones. Provided that, Ukraine has regularly hit Russian radars and SAM systems right here.

<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" height="631" width="1024" src="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-6456041" srcset="https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=300&h=185 300w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=768&h=474 768w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=1024&h=631 1024w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=324&h=200 324w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=649&h=400 649w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=350&h=216 350w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=655&h=404 655w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=280&h=173 280w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=289&h=178 289w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=370&h=228 370w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=308&h=190 308w, https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CrimeaMap7.3.25.jpg?w=50&h=31 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Crimea

It's unclear for the time being what number of sea drones Ukraine is utilizing to launch bomber drones. If the outcomes of the assault earlier this week in Crimea are any indication, there may be an incentive to spice up this functionality. It offers Ukraine one other uneven weapon system to amplify its fight energy.

Contact the creator: howard@thewarzone.com

Howard is a Senior Employees Author for The Battle Zone , and a former Senior Managing Editor for Army Occasions . Previous to this, he coated army affairs for the Tampa Bay Occasions as a Senior Author. Howard's work has appeared in varied publications together with Yahoo Information , RealClearDefense , and Air Power Occasions .