Russia’s efforts to develop and deploy naval strike drones have proven to be a failure, according to the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov.
Speaking to reporters, Budanov said the most recent Russian attempt to use experimental sea drones failed before reaching Ukrainian territorial waters.
“The last time they tried was in early June,” Budanov told journalists. “They used experimental models. They didn’t produce any results. They detonated before even reaching our territorial waters. According to our information, they were headed toward the city of Yuzhne, searching for targets there.”
Budanov said Russia has consistently failed to translate its naval drone concepts into operational success.
While Moscow has showcased several unmanned surface vessels at exhibitions, none of them have yet demonstrated combat effectiveness.
Russian defense industry officials had previously revealed several naval drone designs during the “FLOT-2024” maritime defense exhibition. Among the models shown were the “Orkan,” “BEK-1000,” and “Vizir” unmanned boats. However, there have been no confirmed reports of these platforms being used in actual combat.
Ukraine, by contrast, has been credited with pioneering the effective use of maritime drones in the Black Sea, including attacks on Russian naval targets and logistics infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
Budanov also addressed the scale of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, specifically the use of aerial drones in massed salvos. While Russia is not capable of sustaining daily strikes involving hundreds of drones, Budanov acknowledged that periodic waves of 450 to 500 unmanned aerial vehicles are technically possible.
“They can realistically launch up to 500 drones in a single salvo,” he said, responding to a journalist’s question. “But they can’t do this every day.”
The war has seen both sides invest heavily in unmanned systems, but Ukraine has managed to field operational platforms with proven results on land, at sea, and in the air. Russia’s efforts, while extensive on paper, have struggled with field performance and reliability — particularly in the case of naval drones.