Ukraine Claims First-Ever Naval Drone-vs-Drone Battle in Black Sea

Ukraine's Navy said its 'Sargan-3000' uncrewed surface vessel, armed with a 12.7mm Protector remote weapon station, destroyed a Russian unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Black Sea on September 12 — what the Navy called the first-ever battle between naval drones. According to the Navy's Telegram announcement, the GUR military intelligence directorate detected the target, which the Sargan-3000 engaged from roughly 1km before disabling and finishing it off at close range. The Sargan-3000 entered Ukrainian Navy service in April 2026, with a stated range of up to 1,600km, speeds of 40-55 knots, and a 450kg payload capacity. The claim was released as an 81-second video but has not been independently verified, and Russia issued no comment; the Ukrainian Navy did not disclose the exact time or location of the engagement.