Ukrainian sea drone destroys Russian drone in first unmanned-vs-unmanned naval battle, Navy says
On 12 September, Ukraine's Naval Forces said a Ukrainian Sargan 3000 unmanned surface vessel destroyed a Russian unmanned surface vessel in the Black Sea, in what they described as the first naval battle in history between unmanned surface vessels. The target was detected by the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), and the Sargan 3000 struck it with its 12.7 mm RWS Protector remote weapon station.
Key points
- 12 September: Ukrainian Naval Forces reported a Ukrainian sea drone destroyed a Russian unmanned surface vessel in the Black Sea.
- The Ukrainian Navy said it was the first naval battle in history between unmanned surface vessels.
- The Russian target was detected by units of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.
- A Ukrainian Sargan 3000 unmanned surface vessel carried out the strike.
- The Sargan 3000 is equipped with an RWS Protector remote weapon station fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun, which it used to destroy the Russian vessel.
- The operation was conducted by the Naval Forces in coordination with HUR.
- In July 2026, Ukraine reported a Sargan 3000 had destroyed a Russian border guard ship near Novorossiysk.
Why it matters
The Ukrainian Navy framed the engagement as the first naval battle in history between unmanned surface vessels, a milestone that illustrates how maritime drones are now being used to fight other drones rather than only attacking manned ships or port infrastructure. It also demonstrated an operational strike use of the Sargan 3000 platform, which had previously been used against a manned Russian border guard ship near Novorossiysk in July 2026.
What happened
On 12 September, the Ukrainian Naval Forces announced via Telegram that a Ukrainian Sargan 3000 unmanned surface vessel had destroyed a Russian unmanned surface vessel in the Black Sea. The Russian target was detected by units of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence before the strike. The Sargan 3000, a multipurpose unmanned maritime platform in service with the Ukrainian Navy, engaged the target using its RWS Protector remote weapon station fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun. The Naval Forces described the engagement as the first naval battle in history between unmanned surface vessels. The operation was carried out by the Naval Forces in coordination with HUR.
Background
The Sargan 3000 is a multipurpose Ukrainian unmanned surface platform used for reconnaissance, patrol, and strike missions and is capable of carrying UAVs such as FPV drones. Prior to this engagement, maritime drones had been used primarily against ships and port or other military infrastructure, and had not fought one another directly. In July 2026, Ukrainian forces reported using a Sargan 3000 to destroy a Russian border guard ship near Novorossiysk.