Ukrainian soldiers reveal the operation to sink Russian missile boats

Ukrainian soldiers say Kiev used 10 suicide boats powered by jet skis in the raid on the Russian frigate Ivanovets.

On the night of February 1, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (GUR) deployed suicide boats to attack the small missile ship Ivanovets of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, causing the ship worth 60-70 million USD to sink. Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the GUR, said at the time that 6 unmanned Ukrainian boats "attacked the hull of the ship, causing the warship to tilt backwards and sink."

CNN on February 5 quoted a Ukrainian soldier nicknamed "13", one of the participants in the operation, revealing that they actually deployed a total of 10 suicide boats to attack Ivanovets, of which 6 hit the target. This soldier said he was a member of a special unit under the GUR, which had previously used drones to attack targets in the Black Sea as well as Russian territory.

"The weapon we used in the attack on the Ivanovets was the MAGURA suicide boat," said "13."

The MAGURA V5 suicide boat, built by a Ukrainian state-owned enterprise at a cost of about $273,000 each, has a cruising speed of 40 km/h and a maximum speed of nearly 80 km/h, using the same engine as civilian jet skis. Its range of more than 800 km allows Ukrainian forces to deploy it to raid the Crimean peninsula from a very long distance.

Moment Ukrainian suicide boat attacks Russian missile ship — Ukrainian suicide boat attacks Russian missile ship in the Black Sea on the night of February 1. Video : *GUR*

MAGURA V5 was used by Kiev to sink two Moscow landing ships in the port of Chornomorske, west of the Crimean peninsula, in November 2023.

"13" said suicide boats like the MAGURA V5 have proven to be "incredibly effective" in combat, but stressed that operating them is not easy.

“The most important thing is to feel the boat,” the soldier said. “If you move it a little bit, you will lose control. You have to be as delicate and meticulous as a jeweler.”

The MAGURA V5 can be programmed to automatically approach the target for most of the distance, but the operator must often manually steer the boat in the final phase to accurately engage the enemy.

The device is controlled via a connection to SpaceX's Starlink satellite signal. Russia has recently tried many ways to cut off Ukraine's Starlink signal but has not been successful so far because the system has a very complex structure.

"13" said that MAGURA V5 has a payload of 250 kg and can be raised to 300 kg, but said that this is "unnecessary", because it has proven effective when used to confront the most fortified warships in the Black Sea Fleet, even though it only carries a quarter of a ton of explosives.

One of the strengths of the MAGURA V5 is its small size, measuring nearly 6 m in length and with a raised platform of about 0.5 m, making it difficult to target while on the move.

"The small size makes it difficult to detect or hit, especially in open seas. However, this also makes it relatively difficult to control in rough sea conditions," "13" said.

The MAGURA V5 suicide boat in a photo posted on February 5. Photo: CNN — The MAGURA V5 suicide boat in a photo posted on February 5. Photo: *CNN*

According to soldier "13", Russian warships are usually not equipped with specialized weapons to deal with unmanned boats, so they have to use close-range guns, although this weapon is more suitable for targeting warships.

During the attack on the night of February 1, the AK-630M close-in defense system on the Ivanovets ship continuously fired at a MAGURA V5, but could not hit it because it continuously moved in a zigzag pattern to avoid bullets, before crashing into the rear of the warship.

Another boat then rammed into the port side of the Ivanovets, where a hole had been made by the previous attack, causing the ship to list gradually towards the stern and sink with her bow facing up.

"13" said that the MAGURA V5 has high maneuverability, and demonstrated the ability to make sharp turns even in autopilot mode. "No warship is as maneuverable as these boats," the soldier commented.

Pham Giang (According to CNN )

Source link