Russia is copying Ukrainian naval drones, their effectiveness is yet to be tested – Pletenchuk
Drone Industry
Russians are trying to copy Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (USV). Their capabilities are currently unknown.
Navy spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmytro Pletenchuk said this on the national telethon, reports Censor.NET.
What is known?
"We strike not vessels, but ships – that is an important difference. The Russians, for their part, have damaged more than 130 civilian vessels, just for the record.
This is only one of the new types of threat. We (the Navy – Ed.) factor these risks into our activities," he said.
According to Pletenchuk, Russia’s attempts to copy an uncrewed surface vessel technology indicate Ukraine’s advantage.
"This means there will still be a period of trials, and creating a certain weapon unit is far from everything. It needs to be tested in combat conditions in terms of robustness and effectiveness in use – both in terms of navigation equipment and combat systems," the spokesperson added.
Russia openly says it is developing this area, but the Defense Forces also take this into account in their activities.
Background
- In October 2025, the Ukrainian Navy reported destroying a Russian USV.
The Russians have also published a video allegedly showing tests of a new USV.
