Ukraine’s newest naval drone innovation concepts

BLUF: Ukrainian engineers are developing underwater drones that act as self-laying mines. Meanwhile, they’re integrating new types of weapons, including the newly presented laser Tryzub-90.

In other news, Ukrainian startup SKYBAND is creating a drone-based system to protect underwater communications. New customs rules are also set to come into force, bringing Ukraine closer to EU practices. And D3 Venture Capital disclosed the list of startups it has invested in.

TODAY IN COPENHAGEN: Tim Mak here. I'll be speaking on a panel at the Nordic Defense Tech Investor Conference today in Copenhagen. 

Hosted by ODIN, it will feature Esben Gadsbøll, co-founder of Defence Innovation Highway, and Carl Wikström, CEO of Synclair Vision AB.

THE BIG STORY: The role of sea drones in Black Sea security

Initially, the main task of naval drones was to push Russian ships away from Ukraine’s coastal zone and then free the grain corridor for civilian merchant ships.

But the drones – and their purpose – have evolved as the enemy adapts.

Naval drones were initially single-use, used to attack Russian warships. Russian forces began to adapt to this threat, however, and started using helicopters with mounted-machine guns to fend off the drones.

These challenges forced Ukrainians to make improvements. To counter the aircraft, they installed launchers with R-73 air-to-air missiles on the drones. 

This technique has already proved successful. 

On the night of Dec. 31, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down two Russian Mi-8 helicopters using a naval drone armed with R-73 missiles.

“The first use of the anti-aircraft missile system was unreliable because the systems did not rotate. Later, marine drone engineers installed a rotating turret, making the attack [potential] more comprehensive,” a developer of river drones at Hard Cat told Counteroffensive.Pro. 

Developers have also started working on a prototype of marine drones equipped with aeria FPV drones or smaller sea drones. These drones can be launched deep inside enemy lines, where attacks are not expected.

Unlike Ukraine, Russia is currently focused on defensive strategies at sea rather than developing offensive naval weapons, the Hard Cat developer noted.

All Ukrainian marine drones are becoming more impervious to electronic warfare due to autonomous guidance systems, he added. 

Such drones no longer need constant communication with the operator: the navigation functions effectively even in the face of electronic warfare, and the drone autonomously identifies the target, prepares for interception, and finalizes the route.

How marine drones are expanding their capabilities

In addition to surface maritime drones, Ukraine is busy developing underwater unmanned vehicles. These drones can conduct reconnaissance and patrol naval areas, as well as participate in sabotage operations by mining enemy sea routes and ports.

The underwater unmanned vehicles currently in development use guidance systems to observe objects on the surface and acoustic sensors to recognize vessels underwater. 

Since GPS does not work underwater, these vehicles rely on inertial navigation systems — a more expensive solution that allows them to navigate independently by tracking their movement relative to the sea floor.

Underwater, the device can independently hone in on a target and act as a self-laying mine. It waits on the bottom until a target appears nearby, activates, and attacks, the developer told Counteroffensive.Pro, requesting anonymity due to security concerns. Mining is one of the key tasks that an underwater drone can perform. 

"Initially, sea drones were used for mining, but they have a primary vulnerability: they are visible on radar, and the enemy knows where they are. Underwater drones are used to mine covertly," said the developer. 

Mining effectively limits the maneuverability of the enemy fleet, creates risk zones for ship passage, and forces the enemy to expend resources on locating and neutralizing mines.

Ukraine also produces river drones. These are primarily designed to engage small targets, such as landing ships, frontline port infrastructure, or individual enemy objects left behind after an attack.

Naval drones, on the other hand, are used to strike large ships and coastal facilities. Despite the difference in targets, developers of river drones are already planning to integrate communication systems adapted to marine conditions, and they are gradually moving towards performing maritime tasks, particularly at the request of units operating on the water. 

Although river drones are not designed to destroy large ships, they can be used as distractions or to inflict substantial damage – enough to penetrate the hull armor of small vessels, for example. 

The evolution of maritime drone technology 

Developers primarily focused on creating aerial drones in the early months of the war and only later began shifting efforts to create marine and underwater ones. 

In September 2022, the Ukrainian government planned an operation using surface drones, using them in the Sevastopol direction to target Russian missile carriers. 

One of the participants in the operation told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda that the drones came within 70 km of the Admiral Makarov frigate, the flagship of the Russian fleet. 

But according to Ukrainian sources, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk disabled Starlink access there, which the Ukrainians were using to control the drones. Musk claimed Starlink was not activated in the region. 

In any case, the operation failed. The frigate remained unharmed, and only two Ukrainian drones returned.

This unfortunate setback made it clear that alternative communication channels were vital. By October 2022, the drones had been modified, and they finally succeeded in damaging  the Admiral Makarov, though the Russian side has not acknowledged any damage.

In November 2022, the Ukrainian government announced the development of a combat surface drone with a range of up to 800 km. Initially, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) partnered with the Navy and a private company to develop a marine drone. 

Later, the SBU decided to continue developing independently, creating a drone called the Sea Baby. 

This multifunctional naval drone was first officially demonstrated in the summer of 2023, when it was famously used to strike the Crimean Bridge, a vital supply hub connecting Russia to Crimea. Sea Baby drones were soon used in several other successful attacks on Russian military targets. 

Later, with the assistance of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the MAGURA V5 maritime drone was created. This maritime attack drone can cover a distance of just over 800 kilometers, with a speed of 80 km/h, and a warhead weighing up to 300 kg.

On April 10, 2025 Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces unveiled the Alligator 9 sea drone. It’s a universal platform capable of carrying various weapons, including the Tryzub 90 laser system, which is said to be able to strike drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft at a range of up to 3,000 meters.

BUSINESS LUNCH TOPICS: What our reporting shows!

1. Ukrainian developers work to protect underwater communications 

Ukrainian startup SKYBAND is developing a project that could potentially protect underwater communications from sabotage. 

In the Baltic Sea, several underwater cables have been damaged since the beginning of the year. The latest such incident was reported on Feb. 21, when authorities launched an investigation into a severed underwater cable between Finland and Germany. The European Union suspects that Russia's so-called ‘shadow fleet’ was involved in the damage. 

The project will consist of several elements:

• A catamaran on water equipped with sonar and FPV drones.

• A submersible equipped with a set of sensors.

• A fixed-wing type drone for reconnaissance, which will transmit information to the surface platform.

Thanks to the drone in the air, any enemy ship approaching will be detected in advance. The signal will then be transmitted to the unmanned maritime platform, from which aerial FPV drones will be launched to strike the enemy, Kyrylo, the founder of the SKYBAND startup, told Counteroffensive.Pro.

"If necessary, the drone in the air can assist in guiding the FPV drones launched from the unmanned catamaran to eliminate the threat. The complex can be equipped with AI elements for real-time video processing," Kyrylo said.

2. Ukraine reforms customs regulations for alignment with EU

New customs regulations took effect on April 19, aligning with provisions of the EU Customs Code.

Key changes will affect brokers' activities, customs warehouse operations, and authorization procedures.

From now on, the State Customs Service will issue authorizations for the following types of activities:

• Customs brokerage services;

• Operation of customs warehouses;

• Operation of temporary storage facilities.

To obtain authorization, applicants must have no history of criminal proceedings, appoint a person responsible for customs matters, and demonstrate proper compliance with Ukraine's customs and tax legislation. In addition, it should also have a registration number with the customs authorities, confirming its activities in the field of foreign economic operations.

All current permits will remain valid for one more year before being canceled, Oleh Kiriievskyi, managing partner at law firm First Chair Legal, stated at an event regarding changes in the customs service.

The implementation of a customs representation model will also take place. There will be a distinction between direct and indirect customs representatives. This will allow better control of contractual relationships with customs brokers, help avoid misunderstandings during declarations, and clearly define who is responsible to customs authorities.

A direct representative acts on behalf of and in the interests of the person they represent. In this case, the representative bears responsibility for customs.

An indirect representative acts in the interests of a person. Responsibility is shared between the person and the customs representative.

3. D3 Venture Capital invests in 16 startups

D3 Venture Capital – the firm backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and based in Kyiv – has disclosed the list of startups in which it has invested. 

Since launching D3 in July 2023, the fund has made 16 investments in five countries. They are investing only in defense tech startups. 

“We have a few criteria. The first criterion is to create technologies that bring Ukraine's victory in the war closer. Therefore, we pay special attention to the technical expertise of the founders,” Taras Lutsiv, a D3 investment associate, told Counteroffensive.Pro. “The second is a clear demonstration of how the company will achieve entrepreneurial success, growing with venture dynamics and providing us with an appropriate level of return on investment.”

Here is the list of companies:

• Ailand Systems – autonomous drones for demining;

• Airlogix – autonomous aerial drone maker;

• Buntar Aerospace – reconnaissance drone producer;

• Drone Space Labs – UAV maker;

• Flightmind – GNSS-denied navigation for autonomous systems;

• Frontline – ground robots producer;

• Guardian RF – drone detection developer;

• HIGHCAT – unmanned systems for military and law enforcement;

• Kela Technologies – a secure and open platform for military system integration;

• Neros Technologies – unmanned systems' developer;

• STRIDAR – robotic mine clearance;

• Swarmer – swarm technology maker;

• TYTAN Technologies – counter-drone solutions;

• Zvook – acoustic sensor networks for airborne threat detection.

Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

By: Oksana Zabolotna

Enhancing Combat Immunity under Martial Law Conditions 

Draft Law: No. 13149 dated 03 April 2025 

Stage: awaiting consideration in the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence 

Initiator: a group of 8 MPs from the 'European Solidarity' and 'Holos' factions, led by Iryna Friz. 

Why It’s Important: 

A clear regulation of the concept of ‘combat immunity’ will ensure that military commanders are not held liable during the execution of state defense measures that may involve the loss of property, injury, or death of subordinate service members, or violations of private property rights. 

Such actions, under peacetime conditions, would typically result in criminal and civil liability. 

Additionally, this will enable the construction of engineering fortifications on privately owned land and property. In turn, this will strengthen defensive capabilities in the event of enemy advancement deeper into Ukrainian territory. 

Link to Defense Tech: 

This initiative will enable commanders to assume greater risk when employing advanced weaponry, including systems that are still in the prototype stage.

It will also enable faster testing and evaluation of such systems through their use in actual combat conditions. 

People to Know: The draft law is awaiting consideration in the first reading. For adoption at this stage, 226 votes from Members of Parliament are required. However, before it can be submitted for consideration in the first reading, it must first be reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committee. 

ON THE MOVE: Professional movement, promotions and industry news.

Know someone in the defense tech space who has made a professional move? Drop us a line at [email protected]! 

• Andriana Hamar started a new position as International Partnerships and Advocacy Manager at Ukraine’s MoD. Earlier, she served as an assistant to the head of the Reforms Support Office at the same ministry. 
  

• Anastasiia Massina has concluded her career as an HR manager at Kvertus, an EW manufacturer. She is now open to new job opportunities.
  

• The Cabinet of Ministers dismissed the First Deputy of the MoD, Ivan Havryluik. He will remain in the ministry, but in a different position, which has yet to be specified. 

30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH:

ZTX LLC makes technologies for EW. Their new product, ZTX Power 1200/2400, is a fast-charging mobile station specifically designed for the military. It is capable of charging Starlink, military vehicles, drones, and repeaters. The station can also work as a source of uninterruptible power supply, providing automated backup electric power to a load when the input power source fails. It has a 1200 or 2400 watt-hour accumulator and six USB ports.

“Our advantage is that we have more than 400 stations in the military that test our product in real battlefield conditions. Now we are seeking $6.5 million of investment to scale our production line and lower our constant expenses,” said Mykola Kyrylovich, director of ZTX.

MUST READS:

• Ukrainian developers are working on expanding the range of the Neptune cruise missile and its carriers, as stated by the Ministry of Defense.

• Ukraine has developed a new medium-range drone-missile, Bars, with a range of approximately 800 kilometers and a warhead weighing up to 100 kg, according to the BBC.

• Nordic countries are uniting their defense efforts to protect against the Russian threat – each with their own specializations. Nordic countries would struggle to stand alone against Russia, but combined, the Nordics have an economy about the same size as Russia’s, WSJ reported.

• The Czech company PBS GROUP, which supplies jet engines to Ukraine, will more than double its production of jet engines. 

• Russia is now using upgraded glide bombs equipped with new ‘Kometa’ navigation modules that connect to 12 satellite channels, up from 8. Previously, they were used on Shahed drones to better counter electronic warfare systems.

• Russia has launched a new plant in Izhevsk to produce more Shahed kamikaze drones.

• Russia has upgraded its TOS-2 ‘Tosochka’ heavy flamethrower system, equipping it with new 220 mm thermobaric missile TBS-3M rockets. This allows it to increase its range from 12 km to 15 km.

• Russians attacked the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv with a turbojet drone for the first time. The drone is similar to the Ukrainian drone-missile Peklo.

Thanks to our media partner: