Latest news with #MaguraV7
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Ukraine Says It Has Stepped Up Its Drone Game, Again
Ukraine over the past three years has developed a wide range of drones and robotic weapons that have been deployed against Russian forces to deadly effect. The latest addition to this remote-controlled arsenal is the Magura V7, a homemade weapon system that launches antiaircraft missiles from a 24-foot remote-controlled speedboat. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, presented it to reporters on May 14. The system shot down two Russian Su-30 warplanes last month, according to the Ukrainian agency and independent analysts, in what is believed to be the first-ever successful use in combat by a drone boat against a fighter jet. Russia has not acknowledged the hits, but one was reported by Vladislav Shurygin, a Russian military expert. The use of the new systems is part of Ukraine's broader innovation involving drones and their use. Last weekend, Ukraine hit airfields from eastern Siberia to Russia's western border with a swarm of drones that it said it secretly planted on Russian territory. It was one of the war's most audacious strikes by Ukrainian forces. Although drones of that type have been used before, the airfield attack was the first time they had been deployed hidden onboard trucks and transported overland to launch sites deep inside Russia. The new sea drones are a technological as well as a tactical innovation. The new drones that were presented to reporters look like sleek green speedboats, with missiles mounted on the sides and an electronic eye in the center. In December, Ukraine said an earlier version of the new drones shot down two Russian Mi-8 helicopters in the Black Sea. The weapon, one of its operators explained at the presentation on May 14, can linger for days in the open water, tracking Russian fighter jets and then ambushing them. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
NHK
19-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Ukraine unveils naval drone model capable of carrying missiles
Ukraine's defense ministry has unveiled its latest naval drone model, which is capable of carrying missiles. The ministry's intelligence agency presented the domestically developed Magura V7 suicide drone to media outlets on Wednesday. The model, which measures 7.2 meters long, can be equipped with two anti-air missiles. It can be operated continuously for up to seven days. The ministry started to deploy the model in combat situations late last year. The intelligence agency said the Magura V7 shot down two Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea earlier this month. The agency said various Magura drone models have destroyed 15 Russian military targets, including several major vessels and aircraft, over two years of combat deployment in the Black Sea. Agency spokesperson, Andrii Cherniak, said Russia has hidden its fleet and is afraid to approach Ukrainian coasts or enter the temporarily occupied region of Crimea. The official added that Ukraine is discussing underwater use of Magura drones.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Moment Ukraine takes out Russian fighter jet with sea drone in world first
A Ukrainian marine drone carrying air-to-air missiles shot down a Russian fighter jet last week in what was described by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Chief as a 'historic moment'. A member of Ukraine's special forces was guiding the Magura V7 sea vehicle in Black Sea waters close to the Russian port town of Novorossiysk on May 2 when it registered a Russian aircraft streaking overhead. Stunning heads-up display footage released by Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency showed the moment the drone unleashed a US-supplied AIM-9 sidewinder infrared guided missile and scored a direct hit on the jet - a Su-30SM multirole fighter. It is believed to be the first time in history that a seaborne military drone has scored a kill on a fixed-wing fighter aircraft. The hitherto unrealised feat was repeated minutes later when a second Magura drone scored a kill on another Su-30. The Magura V7 marine drone is based on the same platform as the Magura V5, which has been used to great effect by Ukraine's armed forces to terrorise Russia 's Black Sea naval fleet, but has been modified for air defence missions. Each drone is reported to cost just over £200,000 - a paltry sum in comparison to the cost per unit of the advanced supermanoeuvrable Su-30SM, which comes in at roughly £37 million. The crew of the first Su-30SM managed to eject and were plucked from the murky waters of the Black Sea by a Russian civilian ship, according to Budanov and Russian military bloggers. The crew of the second jet were not so lucky and went down with their plane, Ukrainian officials said. Stunning heads-up display footage released by Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency showed the moment the drone unleashed a US-supplied AIM-9 sidewinder infrared guided missiles and scored a direct hit on the jet Hours after the shootdowns, the GUR released a triumphant statement commemorating the successful air defence mission. 'On May 2, 2025, the special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in cooperation with the SBU and the Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a Russian Su-30 in the Black Sea – this is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone in the world. 'The historic strike was carried out by soldiers of the special forces unit of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Group 13 with a Magura unmanned maritime platform missile,' the statement read. 'The fighter plane of the aggressor state of Russia, which has an estimated cost of about $50 million, burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea – to the bottom, and into the possession of ruthless Neptune.' Russia's defence ministry did not respond to the incident but a slew of prominent Russian military blogging channels appeared to verify the Ukrainian claims. The downing of the Su-30s came on the night of May 2 as part of a wider assault on Novorossiysk, whose mayor declared a state of emergency on Saturday. While the Magura drones shot down Russian aircraft, airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) battered the port city. Andrei Kravchenko announced his decision on his official Telegram account which showed him inspecting the damage to apartment buildings and giving orders to officials. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the attack, but Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched its own attacks on Ukrainian positions overnight with some 183 drones and two ballistic missiles. Astonishing footage, filmed by a GoPro camera, shows the Russian crew of the Caesar Kunikov large landing ship fighting its last battle with Ukrainian marine drones off the coast of Crimea The Caesar Kunikov explodes after being hit by Magura seaborne drones The efficacy of the Magura sea drone as an air defence platform is the latest display of military innovation springing from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In February 2024, the Magura V5 variant was used to sink a Russian ship in the Black Sea. A GoPro video, taken by sailors aboard the doomed Caesar Kunikov, showed in shocking detail how the navy men desperately tried to fight off the oncoming drones in an intense 20-minute sea battle before their vessel was destroyed in a fiery explosion. The hellish, chaotic scene saw a small group of seamen unloading their weapons into the murky water. Explosions rang out around them as the drones one by one slammed into the ship's hull and lit up the night sky. The ship powerless to defend against a flotilla of the high-speed, high-explosive and cheap Magura V5 drones controlled by operators hundreds of miles away.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Photo reveals Ukrainian sea drone that downed Russian Su-30 fighter
The first image of the Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessel (USV) that shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet over the Black Sea has been posted by Naval News, a military news platform focused on global naval developments. The vessel was identified as a new Magura V7 drone, equipped with two US-supplied AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. This marks the first time in history that a surface drone has successfully brought down a combat aircraft. Source: Mezha Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company Details: The Magura V7 is an upgraded version of the previously used Magura V5, which had been deployed in attacks on Russian naval targets. The V7 is approximately 8 metres long—compared to the 5.5 metres of the V5—and features enhanced design modifications that enable it to operate in rough sea conditions. The drone is equipped with advanced communication antennas and navigation sensors to maintain control over extended distances. Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles are mounted on special launch rails on the drone and are believed to be capable of being elevated for launch. These missiles reportedly have a maximum range of up to 10 km. Last year, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence stated that Magura drones also use Soviet-era R-73 air-to-air missiles with infrared homing systems. This successful engagement shows that the Magura V7 is not only effective in naval warfare but has now become a serious aerial threat to Russian forces, marking a new chapter in drone-based combat. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
