Ukraine has a navy that needs no sailors
It does a surprisingly good job of destroying Russian vessels
WHEN RUSSIA invaded in February 2022 Ukraine barely had a navy. The defenders scuttled their one frigate to prevent Russia from seizing it. Two years later Ukraine is struggling to hold back a Russian offensive on land—but it is winning the war in the Black Sea and has broken the Russian blockade of its grain ships. Its victories have often depended on rapid technological innovation: every other navy relies on crewed ships to fight, but Ukraine has built a fleet of drone boats, or uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). How are they shaping the war at sea?
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From the June 15th 2024 edition
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