In brief

• Ukraine's Magura sea drones, developed by UFORCE, are now being used to carry FPV drones and ground robots against targets on land.
• Ukraine's military intelligence said in August that Magura-launched drones hit radar and air defense equipment, including a Pantsir-S1 system and two S-400 launchers.
• The GUR Group 13 commander said the boats now threaten Russian forces on land as well, calling it a fundamental change in the war.

Sea drones find a new role

Ukraine's Magura naval drones have done serious damage to Russia's navy in the Black Sea. Their success forced Moscow to relocate a large part of its Black Sea Fleet away from Russian-occupied Crimea, even though Ukraine has no conventional warship fleet of its own. (Від потоплених кораблів до уражених С-400: Magura стали плавучим майданчиком для FPV-ударів по цілях РФ, – BI – Espreso) (Ukraine's naval drones made their name attacking Russian warships. Now they're taking the fight onto land. – Business Insider) The drones were developed by the Ukrainian defense company UFORCE. (Украинские дроны поразили даже своих разработчиков – Charter 97) (Навіть розробники здивовані: українські морські дрони навчились воювати на суші, - BI – UNIAN)

Strikes on ground targets

In August, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it had used Magura boats as carriers for FPV drones aimed at Russian positions on land. The strikes hit a control vehicle for the Podlyot radar complex, which tracks aircraft, missiles and drones, and the Parol-4 system used to identify friendly aircraft. Drones launched from Magura boats also destroyed a Pantsir-S1 air defense system later that month, and damaged two S-400 launchers along with a ground antenna used to control Orion drones.

Earlier, in July, a Magura operated by the 123rd territorial defense brigade landed a ground robot on the Kinburn Spit for a mission of a different kind.

Commander's assessment

The commander of GUR's Group 13, who goes by the call sign Thirteen, said the Magura boats now pose a threat to Russian forces on land as well. He described this as a fundamental change in how the war is fought.

Developer's view

UFORCE's founder and CEO, Oleg Rogynskyy, said he could not discuss operational details. He said it was easy to imagine a Magura launching a heavy Nemesis drone that flies deep inland to strike Russian targets.