Ukrainian Commander discusses maritime drones with U.S. defense leaders
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, spoke by phone with General Mark Milley, the U.S. Chief of Staff, about Russia’s deployment of underwater unmanned aerial vehicles. A summary of the conversation was published by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on social media.
Zaluzhny conveyed concerns over Russia’s use of submarine drones in the Black Sea, highlighting the threat they pose to civilian shipping routes. He noted that he shared information with Milley about the latest large-scale Russian strikes, which targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure critical to maintaining military production. The Ukrainian commander also expressed gratitude for the air defense systems supplied by the United States and reiterated their importance in defending vulnerable areas.
During the exchange, Milley was informed that Donetsk remains the most volatile sector, with Ukrainian forces repelling around 50 Russian attacks each day. Fierce clashes persisted in the Ugledar and Marinka regions, where Ukrainian troops reported holding the line and sometimes reclaiming ground. The discussion also covered Artemovsk (Bakhmut), with Zaluzhny assuring continued control of the city and efforts to stabilize surrounding areas. He stressed that successful battlefield operations require a steady supply of weapons and ammunition.
The remarks about underwater drones come amid reports connected to an incident in the Odessa region. On February 10, footage circulated online showing an object moving on the water near a railroad bridge in the Zatoka area, followed by an explosion. Russian state television later aired footage suggesting the crossing was used to supply Ukrainian forces with equipment and ammunition, though Ukrainian officials did not comment on the strike. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the February attack employed long-range air, sea, and ground-based weapons, along with unmanned aerial vehicles. These claims have been the subject of discussion among defense commentators and researchers analyzing the course of hostilities. [Source: Rybar Telegram channel analysis and official briefings]
Independent analysts noted that support structures near the Zatoka bridge appeared damaged, while emphasizing that there were no prior confirmations of Russia deploying underwater drones in the region. A number of observers described the Zatoka incident as a notable development in the broader use of unmanned devices in the conflict, a field that has seen evolving capabilities on both sides. Meanwhile, Ukraine has previously employed waterborne drones, including a dramatic sequence tied to an aerial attack on the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol on October 29. This marked a pioneering coordination of two drone types in a single operation. [Source: defense briefings and operational analyses]
Following the Sevastopol incident, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that unmanned systems were launched from ships carrying Ukrainian grain shipments under the terms of the grain corridor agreement, with claims of British involvement in planning and coordination. Earlier reporting indicated the emergence of naval drones near Sevastopol in September 2022, describing a compact, semi-submersible craft equipped with a jet engine and a sizable payload. Ukrainian officials have not issued a definitive public statement confirming possession of sea-based drones. A subsequent fundraising campaign on the United24 platform aimed to build a fleet of 100 naval drones to defend Ukrainian waters, with a projected cost around a quarter of a million dollars per device. [Citations: official statements, defense analyses, and publicly available briefings]