First ever battle between two autonomous naval drones 'won' by Ukraine thanks to a salvo from a remote weapon turret

In a groundbreaking encounter, Ukraine's navy has decisively vanquished a Russian drone boat in the Black Sea, marking the first documented naval battle between autonomous naval drones. The Ukrainian Sargan-3000, an unmanned naval vessel, leveraged its Protector RWS turret to annihilate the enemy craft. Though this historic event has not been independently verified, Ukraine has not publicly disclosed the date, time, or location of the confrontation.

Simultaneously, Russia remains unconfirmed on the loss of its vessel. This development is a consequence of the escalating drone activity by Ukraine in maritime territories, occurring just months after the deployment of the Sargan-3000. The Sargan-3000, described as a multi-purpose platform capable of housing various weapons and sensors, has been actively employed in diverse missions since its commissioning in April 2026.

Since its inception, Ukraine has targeted 105 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov using this platform. The Sargan-3000 boasts exceptional maneuverability, though its exact dimensions and specifications remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, it is equipped with a versatile Protector RWS turret, which can accommodate an array of weapons, including machine guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank missiles.

Deployed on the aforementioned turret was a 12.7mm remote-controlled machine gun turret, potentially an M2 Browning or an NSV. Ukraine's maritime arsenal extends beyond the Sargan-3000, with the Security Service of Ukraine operating the Sea Baby, a 6-meter-long unmanned vessel with a 1,000 km range and a 850 kg payload, primarily designed for targeting anchored targets.

The Defence Intelligence Group employs the Magura V5, a shorter and lighter drone with a comparable role but a reduced range. In a recent encounter, the Russian vessel was initially identified by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate, enabling the Ukrainian Navy's unmanned craft to engage the adversary. This marks the second such incident in July 2026, where a Ukrainian unmanned vessel successfully sunk a Russian craft in the Black Sea off Gelendzhik.

Following this victory, Ukraine has intensified its drone operations in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, having attacked 105 Russian vessels in the latter region alone.