Russia’s sea drones run on smuggled Starlink. Ukraine sank three before they reached shore
Ukrainian forces destroyed three Russian sea drones before they reached the coast. The Ukrainian Navy reported on 24 June that the unmanned surface vessels were destroyed in a coordinated action with the Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR).
Ukrainian military units detected the vessels before they reached the coastline. The interception allegedly took place in the Black Sea near the Kinburn Spit, south of Ochakiv, along the Mykolaiv-Kherson coastline.
Beskrestnov says Starlink onboard because Russia has no alternative
"As I explained earlier, Starlink was installed on the destroyed boats because the enemy has no other long-range control systems," Beskrestnov said.
Russian forces have been unable to develop their own functional long-range satellite communication system for naval drones, with various alternatives either failing or proving too unstable for practical use.
The Ukrainian Navy said the destroyed vessels were detected and destroyed through coordinated action with the Defense Intelligence Directorate.
"Every such successfully repelled attack saves lives and is another blow to the aggressor's plans," the Navy reported.
The Navy did not specify the exact area of detection in its statement.
Russia's 2026 naval drone campaign collapsed before it began
Russia had planned a major campaign in 2026 involving unmanned surface vessels, but those plans were disrupted after SpaceX, at Kyiv's request, blocked Russian access to Starlink satellite communications in February 2026, per Euromaidan Press citing Beskrestnov in May 2026.
Russia has obtained Starlink terminals through third-party supply chains despite the service not being officially available in Russia, per Maritime Executive.
Black Sea USV warfare now goes in both directions
Ukraine has extensively used naval drones in the Black Sea since 2022, targeting Russian warships, patrol vessels, and military infrastructure in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian USV operations forced parts of Russia's Black Sea Fleet to relocate from occupied Sevastopol to ports farther east. Russia began studying and replicating Ukrainian USV designs in 2024-2025.
The Black Sea USV space is no longer one-sided. Russia is now contesting it with its own naval drones.
