Ukraine is expanding its capabilities in the Black Sea: the unmanned attack boats of the ‘Katran’ type will now also be used to monitor and intercept vessels violating international sanctions, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry told Business Insider.
The drones can track suspicious ships from a distance. If the crew of a sanctioned vessel complies with lawful orders, the unmanned boats will escort it to a designated Ukrainian port. A HUR commander with the call sign ‘Devjatyj’ emphasized that the goal is not to destroy oil tankers or grain carriers carrying sanctioned cargo.
The ‘Katran’ was originally developed as a pure attack platform with explosives to sink enemy ships by ramming. During the fighting in the Black Sea, the drone was modernized and equipped with a machine gun and surface-to-air missiles. The use of unmanned boats is intended to strengthen Ukrainian control over its own waters and make it harder to circumvent international restrictions.
Earlier, Ukrainian naval drones had already proven their effectiveness: they sank several Russian warships and forced the Russian fleet to withdraw to its bases. Now the same technologies are to be used to enforce maritime law and block shadow fleets.
Source: 24tv.ua
