Ukrainian marines used first-person view (FPV) drones launched from Barracuda unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to strike Russian military positions near the occupied settlement of Zaliznyi Port in the Kherson region. According to the 40th Separate Marine Brigade on Sunday, the operation combined naval drones, aerial reconnaissance, and FPV strike drones to target Russian positions behind the front line.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. However, during the mission, the Barracuda USVs came under heavy Russian fire. The brigade said Russian forces launched four Lancet loitering munitions at one of the vessels, destroying it. Despite the loss, the remaining USVs successfully reached their designated launch point. After conducting additional aerial reconnaissance, operators launched FPV drones that struck multiple Russian targets near occupied Zaliznyi Port, including: Russian logistics and military equipment; Camouflaged Russian positions; Concentrations of Russian troops. The brigade also released footage of the operation showing the strikes from drone cameras. Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time or location of the video.
Barracuda’s combat debutThe operation comes days after Ukraine’s Navy publicly showcased the Barracuda maritime drone for the first time on July 14.Video released by the Navy showed a Barracuda kamikaze USV approaching an abandoned vessel reportedly being used by Russian forces as an observation post before striking it.
