Ukraine began employing drone boats in offensive operations against Russian targets on the Dnipro River, expanding the use of unmanned surface vehicles beyond the Black Sea.
One of the highlights is the BarracudaUSV developed by the 40th Coastal Defense Brigade of the 30th Marine Corps, which has been used to attack small vessels and camouflaged positions in river channels and islands.
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With a modular design and focus on short-distance missions, the Barracuda does not have satellite communication, which limits its range, but makes it suitable for river operations. According to the Ukrainian military, the system can carry out unidirectional attacks, employ grenades and FPV drones, in addition to carrying out logistical support missions, being a simpler and cheaper alternative compared to other long-range USVs already used by Kiev.
The use of these drone boats occurs amid the ongoing dispute for control of Dnipro since the retaking of Kherson in 2023. Faced with the difficulty of major offensives to cross the river, Ukraine is betting on specific actions and the intensive use of unmanned systems to contain Russian advances and protect its internal waterways.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @zloy_odessit | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
There is a lot of talk about the Magura BECs from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Sea Baby from the SBU, although SOUs also use other means that do not so often show their effective work on the air of all sorts of “marathons”.
One such BEC is the Barracuda of the 40th Brigade.
One of the videos of how BEC performed… pic.twitter.com/MSBQAeGHQX
— Alexander Kovalenko (@zloy_odessit) December 24, 2025
