Ship killers: Ukraine's mysterious Group 13 special forces unit terrorising Russian warships
Ukraine's mysterious special forces unit known only as Group 13 has been credited for sinking three of Russia's most modern warships, but who are the people behind these attacks?
The shadowy unit of ship killers began releasing footage of their attacks on the Russian Black Sea fleet in May 2023, when Russia's newest reconnaissance ship the Ivan Khurs was damaged by three USVs, or uncrewed surface vessels, reportedly launched by Group 13.
This year, the unit has claimed responsibility for attacking the Ivanovets, a Russian missile corvette, and most recently the sinking of the Sergei Kotov patrol ship.
The group appears to be a special unit attached to Ukraine's intelligence service, the GUR. They also work closely with the Navy and the Ministry of Digital Transformation when carrying out their attacks.
One member of the mysterious unit of ship killers explained that of the 10 drones launched against the Ivanovets, six hit their target.
The unknown operative also stated: "We also sank two landing boats with APC on board near Chornomorske (Crimea)."
Group 13's main weapon of choice is the Magura V5, a homegrown attack sea drone with a range of 450 nautical miles.
Capable of travelling up to 42 knots (50mph) using waterjet propulsion, the USV can carry 300kg of explosives.
As shown by footage released by Ukraine and Russia, the drones are proving difficult to stop and very effective when launched as a swarm to overwhelm a ship's defences.
Dramatic footage released by the Ukrainian MOD has shown the effectiveness of Group 13's methods against the Russian navy.
Russia has also released footage showing sailors desperately using rifles and machine guns to destroy Group 13's drones before they can hit their targets.
It is estimated that at least one-third of Russia's Black Sea fleet has been damaged or destroyed by Ukraine.
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