Dron naval ucraniano Magura V5

History of the development

Back in November 2022, the Ukrainian government announced the development of a Ukrainian combat surface drone with a range of about 800 km.

It is noteworthy that the first agency in Ukraine to become interested in the development of unmanned surface vehicles was the Security Service of Ukraine. Initially, the SSU partnered with a private company to develop its first-generation drones but later began developing them independently and created Sea Baby. The services of the initial drone developer were used by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, which eventually led to the Magura.

This drone was first presented at the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey, which took place from July 25 to 28, 2023.

A day later, on July 29, 2023, a CNN report confirmed that the Magura V5 kamikaze boat already exists not only as an exhibition model but also as a fully operational system.

Specifications

The Magura V5 (Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus, also known as Magura) is a Ukrainian multi-purpose surface drone developed for the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

This drone can perform surveillance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search and rescue, mine countermeasures, and maritime security, but is primarily known for its strike role. According to open sources, the following characteristics are known:

• Length: 5500 mm or 5.5 m
• Width: 1500 mm or 1.5 m
• Gross weight: 1000 kg
• Payload: 320 kg
• Operating range: up to 400 km
• Range: up to 800 km
• Autonomy: up to 60 hours
• Cruising speed: 41 km/h
• Maximum speed: 78 km/h
• Navigation methods: automatic GNSS, inertial, visual
• Video transmission: up to three HD video streams
• The cost of the complex: 10 million hryvnias

The hydrodynamic hull and sleek profile allow the drone to move secretly and maneuverably, making it easy to launch from any remote location. There is another advantage of the Magura. They do not require a complex infrastructure to launch. The control panel of this marine drone looks quite compact, no larger than a modern laptop.

It requires only a few people, including the operator, to operate the drone and does not take up much space. At the same time, no special platforms (slips) are required to launch the boat, although its weight is approximately 1 ton.

Targets hit by Magura V5 drones

The first target of these surface drones was the Russian reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs. On May 24, 2023, it was successfully attacked by three drones 140 km northeast of the Bosphorus Strait. This is a rather significant loss, given the presence of only three such boats of the 1241.1 project in the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its weapons.

In addition, on the night of February 1, 2024, six Magura V5s attacked the Russian missile boat Ivanovets. It sank, killing all crew members (approximately 40 people). As the DIU representative Andrii Yusov noted at the time, there were only three such boats in Russia.

This year, on February 14, the large landing ship Tsezar Kunikov was sunk near Alupka. The successful mission to destroy this amphibious assault ship was carried out by the special forces of Group 13 of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, using Magura V5 drones. It is worth noting that this large landing ship was one of the newest Russian vessels.

And finally, the Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov of Project 22160. Last year in September, Ukrainian soldiers managed to damage this corvette. But last night, Magura V5 drones near the Kerch Strait finally destroyed one of the youngest such ships in the enemy fleet. In addition, the enemy suffered losses among the personnel, which are still being clarified. Read more about the Sergei Kotov ship and its destruction in the RBC-Ukraine report.