Ukraine acknowledges that Russia has neutralized its suicide boat tactics.

Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have found ways to effectively counter Kyiv's suicide boats and that Ukraine needs to change its tactics.

"If we use suicide unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), the enemy will also study ways to counter them. Some tactics and strategies that proved effective in 2022 and 2023 will no longer be effective in 2024. We need to change tactics," said Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on January 11.

According to Neizhpapa, unmanned equipment, including USVs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will play a key role in the next phase of hostilities, and the Ukrainian military will have to constantly innovate and adjust its strategy to gain an advantage over Russia in this area.

"Russia's defense industry is very strong, and they never skimp on weapons. We will face a very difficult battle for unmanned aerial vehicles ahead," the Ukrainian naval commander stated.

Kyiv repeatedly attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet with USVs in 2023. Last November, Ukrainian intelligence claimed to have used suicide boats to attack two small Russian landing ships near the Crimean Peninsula, damaging both vessels.

The country also stated that it used the USV Sea Baby to attack a Russian patrol boat near the port city of Sevastopol a month earlier, as well as to attack the Kerch Bridge on the peninsula in August of the same year.

A Ukrainian unmanned boat seized by Russia in the Crimean Peninsula on November 22, 2023. Photo: Telegram/Voyenny Osvedomitel

According to a report last October by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian attacks using USVs, UAVs, and long-range missiles forced the Black Sea Fleet to redistribute some of its forces from the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, more than 300 km east of its previous location.

Oleksiy Danilov, head of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Council (RNBO), said late last month that about 20% of the Black Sea Fleet's forces had "disappeared" after repeatedly suffering attacks from Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is also actively seeking to improve its suicide boats to better penetrate Russian defenses. Earlier this year, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) announced the first use of Sea Baby suicide boats equipped with rocket launchers to attack Russian warships near the Crimean Peninsula.

A Ukrainian official said Kyiv is aiming to build a force of multi-purpose unmanned boats, capable of being equipped with cannons, air defense systems, or performing suicide attack missions, to replace large warships.

Location of the Crimean Peninsula and the Russia-Ukraine conflict situation. Graphic: RYV

Pham Giang (According to Ukrainska Pravda , BI , Eurasian Times )

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