Drone boats 'major component' of modern warfare as Ukraine targets Russian ships
Attacks by drone boats on Russian ships show how Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV) are a key part of modern warfare, the MOD has said.
In the latest defence intelligence update on X, formerly Twitter, the MOD said the USVs can be used "against the weakest links of Russia's sea supply lanes".
The MOD pointed to the attack on the Russian merchant tanker (MT), which was "disabled near the Kerch Strait, apparently by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel".
"This came a day after a similar attack on the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship, and two days after an apparently foiled attack on Russian patrol boats while they were likely escorting the Russian merchant vessel (MV) Sparta IV," the MOD continued.
"Although civilian-flagged, MT Sig and MV Sparta IV have long been contracted to ship fuel and military supplies between Russia and Syria.
"Since 28 February 2022, Russian military ships have not been able to pass through the Bosphorus."
The Bosphorus Strait's importance lies in the fact that it is a significant shipping route that links the Black Sea with the world's oceans.
The MOD said this has left "Russian military forces in Syria and the Mediterranean heavily dependent upon Sig, Sparta IV, and a handful of other civilian vessels".
"The attacks show that USV operations are increasingly a major component of modern naval warfare and can be turned against the weakest links of Russia's sea supply lanes."
An MOD update earlier this month reported how Olenegorsky Gornyak "almost certainly suffered serious damage" as a result of a drone boat attack.
According to the MOD update, it was "a significant blow" to the BSF, which previously relocated most of its units to Novorossiysk due to the high threat to its Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russia denied the vessel was struck, claiming the drone boat was intercepted, however, according to the MOD, images of the vessel listing at 30-40° suggest that several watertight compartments were breached, or that the crew's damage control efforts were ineffectual.
Regularly deployed with Russia's Northern Fleet, the 113m-long Olenegorsky Gornyak has provided vital support to the BSF following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The vessel frequently facilitated the transportation of military personnel and civilian resources between Russia and occupied Crimea.
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