Russia Says It Struck Seven Ships Carrying Military Cargo for Ukraine in the Black Sea

Russia's Ministry of Defence has announced that "Geran-4 Seeker" drones struck seven cargo vessels transporting military supplies for Ukraine's armed forces in the Black Sea. According to the ministry, the ships were hit in the port of Mykolaiv and while underway in the Black Sea operational zone.

The ministry released footage showing drone crews carrying out the strikes on the named targets. Moscow describes its Black Sea strikes as a core element of its maritime and economic campaign against Ukraine, aimed at port infrastructure, merchant vessels and grain export routes. In recent weeks, both sides of the conflict have significantly stepped up attacks on maritime shipping.

For its Black Sea strikes, Russia has begun deploying an upgraded version of the "Geran-4 Seeker" drone, capable of hitting its target even if it loses contact with its operator during the final stage of its dive — a feature that considerably weakens the effectiveness of any defensive countermeasures.

The drone is also fitted with a fixed, forward-facing 180-degree camera (a dual-lens Dahua TiOC unit) for surveying terrain and detecting enemy interceptor drones. According to its specifications, the "Geran-4 Seeker" is powered by a jet engine, has a maximum range of 550 km, a cruising speed of around 300 km/h, and carries a 50 kg warhead.

The high speed of the jet-powered "Geran" drones poses a serious challenge for air defence systems: the interceptor drones currently available to the defending side are not fast enough to reliably shoot them down.

Source: novinky.cz