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In the Black Sea, Ukrainian drone boats are on the prowl for smaller, fast-moving targets, taking advantage of the absence of larger Russian warships that retreated after facing devastating attacks. According to the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), they recently destroyed a Russian military speedboat using a Magura V5 naval drone in Uzka Bay, situated in the northwestern part of Crimea, which is currently under Russian occupation. This strike represents Ukraine's ongoing offensive against the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The sustained campaign, involving drones and missiles over several months, has compelled Moscow to relocate many of its exposed assets from Crimea to safer locations in Russia across the sea. The HUR stated, “The fear of Ukrainian attacks compels occupiers to conceal large ships, allowing us to focus on targeting the agile military vessels of the Russians.“ Footage shared by Ukraine depicts a dramatic scene of the drone facing heavy fire from above, likely from aircraft, evading it and approaching the Russian boat, which appears to be concealed under camouflage. The outcome of the attack on the manned vessel remains unclear from the footage. While Kyiv did not confirm drone losses, Russia's defense ministry claimed the destruction of five Ukrainian drone boats near Crimea's northwest coast, although there's no acknowledgment of their own losses. The HUR identified the targeted Russian vessel as a “Mongoose,“ a versatile ship equipped for combat, patrol, and search and rescue operations. Ukrainian forces have effectively utilized Magura V5s and Sea Babies, explosive naval drones, to disrupt and destroy numerous Russian warships. Despite recent organizational changes and efforts to bolster defenses, Russia struggles to counter this asymmetrical warfare, resorting to enhanced port security and arming crews with more machine guns, along with increased combat air patrols. Reports suggest constant Russian aerial surveillance over the western Black Sea, aligning with footage shared by the defense ministry. However, Kyiv continues to exploit vulnerabilities, achieving notable success in targeting Russian vessels with its drones. Please provide your perspective on the matter discussed above by sharing your thoughts below.
