Ukraine Unveils AI-Enhanced Sea Drone, Expands Black Sea Reach

Kyiv, Oct 22 (AP) — Ukraine's state security service has introduced an enhanced sea drone capable of operating throughout the Black Sea, carrying heavier armaments, and employing artificial intelligence for targeting.

Ukraine has effectively utilized these unmanned naval drones against Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attributes strikes by the "Sea Baby" unmanned vessel to a strategic shift in Russian naval operations.

SBU officials revealed that the Sea Baby's range has expanded from 1,000 km to 1,500 km and can now carry up to 2,000 kg of payload.

During a demonstration attended by The Associated Press, variants of the vessel were shown with a multiple-rocket launcher and a stabilized machine-gun turret.

Brigadier General Ivan Lukashevych of the SBU highlighted that the new vessels incorporate AI-assisted friend-or-foe targeting systems and can launch small aerial attack drones with multilayered self-destruct systems to prevent capture.

Developing a new kind of naval warfare

The SBU said these drones have executed successful attacks against 11 Russian ships, including frigates and missile carriers, causing the Russian navy to relocate its main base from Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea coast.

“The SBU became the first in the world to pioneer this new kind of naval warfare — and we continue to advance it,” Lukashevych remarked.

He noted that the Sea Baby has transformed from a single-use strike craft to a reusable, multipurpose platform, thereby enhancing Ukraine's offensive capabilities.

For security reasons, authorities requested that the time and location of the demonstration remain undisclosed.

The drones are operated remotely from a mobile control center within a van.

Operators use a bank of screens and controls for navigation and mission execution.

Operator “Scout” stated, “Cohesion of the crew members is probably the most important thing. We are constantly working on that.”

Ukrainian sea drones helped push back Russia’s navy

The SBU further stated that these sea drones were integral in other high-profile strikes, including repeated assaults on the Crimean Bridge, aiming to disable its underwater supports and disrupt heavy military transport.

The Sea Baby program is partially financed by public donations through a state-run initiative and coordinately managed with Ukraine’s military and political leadership.

Lukashevych emphasized that the evolution from expendable strike boats to reusable, networked drones signifies a significant advancement in asymmetric naval warfare.

“On this new product, we have installed rocket weaponry that will allow us to work from a large distance outside the attack range of enemy fire.

We can use such platforms to carry heavy weaponry,” he explained.

“Here we can show Ukrainians the most effective use of the money they have donated to us.” (AP) SCY SCY

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