H I Sutton Image Used with permission
Last year, Ukraine put out an unusual crowdfunding request. It aimed to build 100 sea drones, which it would use to attack Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and ports.
Ukraine needed to protect its waters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram in support of the United24 campaign, which had a goal of $25 million – enough to purchase 100 drones, at $250,000 a piece, USNI News previously reported.
Ukraine by no means invented lethal surface drones but the country has found new ways to use them in a conflict. Ukraine, a country without a naval fleet, has used drones and other missile strikes to largely stave off attacks from the Black Sea Fleet while slowly dismantling Russia’s dominance over the Black Sea.
Ukraine needs to dismantle the Black Sea Fleet, Markarova said, to protect its citizens and also to better allow for the country to export grain and foodstuffs, which bolster the economy. Russia pulled out of the grain deal in July, with Ukraine opening up a humanitarian corridor in August for grain ships. The 100th ship has passed through as of Monday, Ukraine announced.
That’s where the Ukrainian drones come in. It is the story of David and Goliath, Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell said on the paper’s podcast. A country without a navy is taking down a sophisticated Russian fleet that should be maintaining dominance in the Black Sea.
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