Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), has released footage of what it says is its first use of boat-launched first-person-view (FPV) drones.
The operation was carried out on September 11, 2024, by the Raven Group of GUR’s Timur Special Unit and targeted Russian positions on the Petro Hodovalets gas platform off the coast of Crimea in the Black Sea.
Footage shows three FPV drones launched from high-speed vessels striking the offshore structure. SOFX was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
In a Telegram post, the GUR said the drones neutralized firing positions and inflicted personnel and equipment losses. “Thanks to this component of the operation, GUR soldiers were able to suppress enemy fire on the Petro Hodovalets platform,” the agency said.
The platform, also known as Crimea-2, was originally Ukrainian but was seized by Russia in 2014 and repurposed for military use. Since then, Russia has used it for surveillance and logistical operations.
Ukraine’s intelligence service said the strike marked the country’s first known use of FPV drones launched from boats in open waters.
“The successful use of FPV drones from sea platforms represents another example of how Ukrainian forces continue to adapt and innovate, turning asymmetric tactics into strategic advantages,” Defense Express notes. “It opens new tactical possibilities for future raids and further disrupts Russia’s sense of security even in maritime zones.”
News of the FPV drone boat attack follows a raid by GUR earlier this week that targeted a Russian military position on Tendra Spit, an island in the northern Black Sea.
