ships and bombers with anyone behind the wheel

The eldest war laboratory Of modern contests, the war in Ukraine, has turned drones into The fundamental piece of any offensive of both sides. Everything revolves around these armies of swarms to which it has been adding updates of all types (and times). Hence the unusual has become a rule.

However, the last developments are a scoop that nobody saw coming.

Evolution without humans. Ukraine has made a significant technical leap in his asymmetric war campaign by using, for the first time, Bombarder drones thrown from vessels Not surface manned (USVS), a kind of small aircraft carriers To attack key Russian facilities in Crimea. This new tactic represents a remarkable operational sophistication with respect to its first naval suicidal drones, turning these floating platforms into capable versatile systems, not only of direct attack, but also of launching multiple air attacks against strategic objectives.

He most recent attackcarried out the night from July 1 to 2, 2025, destroyed three fundamental components of the long -range radar system NEBO-Messential piece in Russian defensive architecture on the Crimean Peninsula and the North -Western Black Sea. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense described it as a “brilliant and high precision” operation, backed by A video which shows how aerial drones take off from the bow of the USVs and release several pumps with surgical impact.

Operational advantages. The use of Bombarder drones From the sea it confers decisive tactical advantages. Unlike FPV previously launchedwhich require direct impact to destroy the objective, these new vehicles can attack multiple whites by mission and carry heavier ammunition. In addition, they maintain better connectivity in prolonged distances as they are not forced to descend to the ground, which allows them to operate more flexibility.

Its control is mediated by satellite links (possibly via Starlink) installed in the USVs, which also act as retransmission nodes and launch platforms. This decentralized and mobile architecture complicates the work of detection, monitoring and neutralization by the Russian defenses.

Russian reaction. Russian forces, aware of this evolution, have begun to observe with concern these attacks, as evidenced by the Russian military channel Two Majors. They recognize that a single Naval drone managed to approach and display multiple UAVS With load release systems, executing consecutive attacks on Russian defensive positions.

Although They claim to have destroyed Subsequently, the Atacious Naval drone with air support, there is no visual tests that confirm it. The Russian reaction has focused more on request resources additional to counteract these threats that in denying its effectiveness. In any case, the incident underlines Ukraine’s ability to introduce innovations that alter tactical balance despite their resources limitations, generating psychological pressure, material wear and logistical disorder on the opposite side.

NEBO-M and its tactical value. The target of this operation, the NEBO-M SYSTEMHe was not chosen at random. It is a last generation mobile radar complex introduced by Russia in 2017, designed for Detect poaching airplanesballistic missiles and aerial threats at distances greater than 600 km. The system includes The RLM-M (Three -dimensional VHF radar mounted on 8×8 truck) and The RLM-D (An Aesa radar also on mobile platform), both valued in tens of millions of dollars.

These radars feed the S-300 and S-400 systems With objective acquisition data, and its location at the western tip of Crimea is vital to maintain a defensive shield on the region and access to the northwest of the Black Sea. No doubt, its neutralization opens a direct gap on that shield, facilitating the passage of long -range missiles as The Shadow Storm and Scalp-EGas well as the incursion of Kamikaze dronessignificantly weakening the Russian ability to detect and respond to attacks.

Ambush and new front. In addition, in recent days another unprecedented scene occurred: the First known attack With a submersible first person drone, marking a milestone. In published images by The Northern Battalion Eagle of the 151.ª Motorized Brigade shows a river crossing in the Járkov region (previously destroyed and then improvised by the Russian forces with trunks) being achieved by an immersed explosive device.

The sequence begins With a fixed intake underwater, where the FPV drone is hidden next to one end of the passage. Then, an explosion shakes the structure, destroying the crossing and confirming the effective use of the new underwater vehicle.

The Shrike Special Edition. Forbes counted that, although the attack may seem anecdotal (three trunks are not a strategic objective) the real value resides in the successful use of the Shrike Special Edition, an improved version of the Ukrainian Shrike DRON FPVdesigned to operate in aquatic environments. Presented in February with the ability to land on water, dive and re -take off, the shrke was conceived as A ambush dronecapable of hiding in ponds, channels or lakes, patiently waiting for their prey.

The recent attack shows that its possibilities They go further: It can destroy whites at flush or below the water level. This opens a new operating field, where air or land surveillance loses efficiency and the threat can come from the bottom of a river or a flooding area.

From the suicide drone to the floating hunter. Plus: These episodes are part of a tactical progression Ukrainian that began with naval suicidal drones designed to exploit the impact, continued with the incorporation of FPV drones embarked and improvised anti -aircraft platforms, and has now led to a combined system that joins aerial and (Sub) Maritime in a reusable and coordinated way.

As We count In May, Ukraine had already demonstrated the potential of its USVs when a version of the Magura V7 Armed with air-air-aim missiles AIM-9x knocked down two fighters Russians Su-30 on the Black Sea, and in December before another version (the Magura V5) he folded A MI-8 helicopter With a Missile R-73. These background reveal that the nation has managed to transform what was initially a limited deterrence tool in a multipurpose of new generation offensive platforms.

New deterrence. In summary, if the twentieth century was dominated by nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines, it could be said that the 21st century already belongs, in part, to invisible fleets of drones of all colors: (sub) marine and aerial, silent, autonomous and thrown from unexpected places.

Crimeaas a symbolic epicenter of this transformation, a new generation of war is being displayed in front of its coasts: stealth, modular and connected. The spearhead of a tactical revolution.

Image | X, Russian Defense Ministry

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