New Russian sea drone poses threat to Ukrainian ports

Russian military-industrial conglomerate KMZ presented a new maritime drone named 'Oduvanchik' (Dandelion), reported Ukrainian military news outlet Militarny on Dec. 15.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces believe that this drone may pose a threat to civilian shipping on the Black Sea.

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Russian media outlets have released photos of the drone, with KMZ director Mikhail Danilenko reporting that the first model will soon be tested in the full-scale war against Ukraine.

Russian drone's design resembles Ukrainian models, but there are several differences that suggest different objectives, according to Militarny.

In particular, it lacks visible communication antennas, optical observation devices, and target guidance systems. Militarny speculate that the drone could be used to attack bridges and ports, possibly employing an inertial system with GPS signal correction instead of antennas.

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“Understanding that we are dealing with a terrorist country, we cannot rule out that such drones might be used against civilian ships…” said Operational Command South spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk on national TV.

“They have constantly tried to find a pretext to accuse civilian shipping of transporting military cargoes, but all these allegations remained unconfirmed.”

As of Dec. 18, the navigation corridor for civilian shipping in the Black Sea continues to operate, despite stormy weather and increased mine threats, according to Humeniuk, who added that the Ukrainian military is ensuring the safe passage of ships through Ukraine's territorial waters and their subsequent exit into international waters.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine