KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� The commander of sea-drone operations for Ukraine鈥檚 military intelligence agency says more complex strikes against Russian forces are expected next year, after succeeded in curbing the movements of Russia鈥檚 once-dominant Black Sea navy.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the head of the specialized maritime drone unit, Group 13, said Ukraine鈥檚 attacks have forced Russia to adapt, limiting opportunities for major Black Sea strikes seen earlier in the war.
鈥淭oday, we鈥檝e likely reached a plateau,鈥� said the officer, who is identified only by the call sign 鈥�13th鈥� under Ukrainian military protocol.
鈥淲e are effectively limiting the enemy鈥檚 movements, but those dramatic, high-profile strikes we saw earlier haven鈥檛 happened for quite some time. That鈥檚 because the enemy has adapted.鈥�
Last month, Ukrainian officials said in strikes against vessels in Russia鈥檚 sanctions-evading 鈥渟hadow fleet鈥� of oil tankers. The commander declined to comment on those operations.
The officer said Russian naval vessels 鈥渂arely operate,鈥� often venturing only up to 25 miles (40 kilometers) from port to fire missiles before retreating. 鈥淭hey constantly hide. And in a way, that鈥檚 also a result of our unit 鈥� because you can imagine the cost of maintaining a fleet that cannot operate at sea.鈥�
The officer spoke in uniform, his face covered and eyes obscured by tinted glasses. For security reasons, the intelligence agency asked that the location and other details of the interview not be disclosed.
Drone technology has become vital to Ukraine鈥檚 military, offering inexpensive tools for reconnaissance and strikes in countering Russia鈥檚 invasion. Its two sea-drone programs are run separately by its military and domestic intelligence services.
Group 13 operates the , which Ukraine credits with multiple strikes on Russian ships.
The unit currently deploys two variants 鈥� the V5, a smaller ramming drone, and the larger V7, a weapons platform. Both are controlled remotely using suitcase-sized consoles equipped with joysticks, screens and safety switches.
At a recent demonstration, operators showed a V7 fitted with modified U.S.-made Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. In May, the intelligence agency said a Magura drone shot down a Russian fighter jet 鈥� a development the commander called a 鈥渂reakthrough鈥� in maritime warfare.
He said the next stage of Ukraine鈥檚 drone evolution will rely on deeper integration of artificial intelligence, using a growing archive of operational video and sensor data to improve targeting and reduce operator workload.
鈥淩ight now, target search is a combined process 鈥� part operator, part AI,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the future, you鈥檒l launch the drone and it will independently search for a target, distinguish civilian vessels from military ones, and make more of the decisions.鈥�
Ukraine’s military, he added, had a 鈥渉uge amount鈥� of operational data available to further train AI models.
Although he did not comment on specific development plans within the intelligence agency, 13th said countries exploring longer-range strike options, submersible drones and more complex mixed-fleet operations see such systems as a logical next step.
Ukraine is also seeking to expand co-production of drones with several NATO countries next year.
During a last month, Kyiv and Greece announced plans for joint work on maritime uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), expanded training and exercises, and information-sharing on maritime threats.
Despite Russia鈥檚 adjustments, the commander said Ukraine鈥檚 sea-drone program remains effective.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working on many fronts to change this situation and create a turning point,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or now, I can say this: We haven鈥檛 lost effectiveness. We鈥檝e simply reached a point where we鈥檙e holding the enemy in check.鈥�
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Oleksii Yeroshenko contributed to this report.
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