Ukrainian Sea Baby drones of the Security Service of Ukraine planted more than 15 underwater mines near Crimea, thus hitting 4 Russian warships, including the Samum corvette and the Pavlo Derzhavin patrol boat.
Ukraine hit at least 4 enemy ships due to the fact that SSU Sea Baby naval drones laid more than 15 underwater mines near the waters of the Crimean Peninsula. The explosives were installed on routes used exclusively by Rashist warships.
This is stated in the material of the American edition of The Wall Street Journal.
“After the first use of maritime drones, the Russians built large barriers at the entrance to the port in Sevastopol, which made drone strikes almost impossible. Therefore, the team of SSU head Vasily Malyuk came up with an alternative: laying sea mines,” says the material on the work of the SSU SeaBaby maritime drones.
The so-called bottom mines are made of plastic, weigh about 400 pounds (180 kg), and are difficult to detect because they sink into the mud below the shallow waters.
According to the WSJ, the SSU tracked the routes of naval ships and civilian transport for a month and a half before sending SeaBaby to plant two mines. On September 14, the Samum, a missile corvette, was struck by one of the mines that punched a hole in its stern: “The ship is still undergoing repairs in dry dock.”
“Over the following weeks, SeaBaby cruised back and forth, covering more than 3,000 miles, laying down about 15 more minutes. During one of the trips, discovered by three Raptor-class patrol boats, the drone opened fire with a grenade launcher, hitting an enemy ship,” reports the report. publication of a conversation with SSU Brigadier General Ivan Lukashevych, better known by his call sign “Hunter”.
Reportedly, on October 11, the large patrol boat Pavlo Derzhavin struck its side while entering Sevastopol Bay. It was heading to port for maintenance. Minesweepers and divers scoured the area for mines, apparently without success.
"Pavlo Derzhavin" was redirected to another port for repairs on October 13, but while leaving Sevastopol Bay, it encountered a mine. A large tug sent to rescue him also struck a mine and he himself had to be towed back to port.
“A few days later, the explosion also damaged a modern mine-resistant ship, one of two in Russian service,” the WSJ said of the destruction of the glass-bottomed vessel Volodymyr Kozytskyi.
According to The Wall Street Journal, remote mining carried out by SSU Sea Baby drones is the first example of successful remote mining in the world.
“Previously, naval drones were used mainly for surveillance or logistics. We (SSU - Ed.) do many things that no one else in the world has done before us,” says an interlocutor in the Service.
In total, under the leadership of Vasyl Malyuk, the Security Service hit 11 Russian warships and the Crimean Bridge, which the Russians still cannot fully use.