New Ukrainian maritime drone may be behind destruction of Russian weapons in Crimea

Defense Express named weapons Ukraine could have used in the recent attack.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine released striking footage showing the destruction of 20 Russian military assets, including radars, anti-aircraft systems, helicopters, and ships, in the occupied Crimea. The list includes:

• Pantsir-S1 (3 units)
• 39N6 Kasta 2E2 (3 units)
• 48Ya6-K1 Podlet (2 units)
• 1L125 Niobium-SV (2 units)
• 9C19 Imbir
• Nebo-SV
• S-300VM
• Nebo-M
• 59N6-E Protivnik-GE
• Mys radar
• ST-68 radar
• Mi-8 helicopter
• Transport vessel of the C4236 project
• Fedor Uryupin tugboat

This extensive damage raises a crucial question: what could have been responsible for such an attack? As stated by Defense Express, one possibility is the newly developed Ukrainian maritime drone, Katran X1. Recently, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, confirmed the successful development and active use of another similar maritime drone, Katran VENOM, which could have contributed to these strikes. 

3D model of the Katran X1 with FPV drones in the rear of the hull and Osa drones in the launcher in the center of the hull

The Katran X1, developed by the Military Armored Company HUB, a member of the Brave1 platform, boasts the following specifications:

• Range: 1,200 km
• Maximum speed: 105 km/h
• Cruising speed: 60 km/h
• Equipped with: Starlink satellite communication antenna, daytime and thermal imaging cameras

Additionally, the Katran X1 can carry 10-inch FPV drones and Osa aircraft-type drones. These FPV drones are stored in containers at the rear of the drone, with a total of four units. A previous video released by the Ukrainian Navy in December 2024 shows FPV drones being launched from an unnamed maritime drone, indicating that this vehicle might act as both a carrier and a communication repeater. Public images of the Katran X1 also show containers designed for FPV drones.

In the Defense Intelligence video, however, the drone’s behavior was notably different from typical FPV drones. As Defense Express notes, "the drone behaved unnaturally for an FPV drone and its flight is more like a small airplane-type kamikaze drone." This raises concerns about the limited range of typical FPV drones, which might not be sufficient for targeting locations deep in occupied Crimea.

This brings the Osa drone into focus. The Osa is an aircraft-type drone designed for the Katran X1, with the following specs:

• Destruction range: Up to 40 km
• Warhead weight: 2 kg
• Takeoff weight: 3.8 kg
• Cruising speed: 80-90 km/h
• Flight duration: Up to 40 minutes

The Osa drones are arranged in launchers, with four units per drone. They are likely deployed via catapult launch. As Defense Express points out, "the logical assumption is to launch small UAVs from sea boats, and here we can mention the new Katran X1, which is suitable in all respects."

While the Katran X1 and its accompanying drones are a plausible explanation for the strikes on Russian equipment, it’s also possible that entirely different systems were used, with other drones or delivery vehicles involved.