Ukraine’s Shadowy Kamikaze Drone Boats Officially Break Cover

We have now gotten our best look yet at Ukraine’s tactical uncrewed surface vessels, or USVs, which were employed in an unprecedented attack on the Russian Navy’s base in Sevastopol on the occupied Crimean Peninsula last month, thanks to an official crowdfunding campaign. Ukrainian authorities say they hope to raise enough funds to buy 100 of the drone boats, which they claim are capable of striking targets as far away as 500 miles, among other missions.

New video footage and images of the USVs were released by the Ukrainian government Friday through its UNITED24 fundraising platform as part of an effort to crowdsource funding for the boats. The USVs, completed and under construction, are 18-foot-long vessels said to be capable of carrying a combat load of up to 400 pounds, with a top maximum speed of about 50 mph.