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Ukraine’s sabotage-ready river drone Ursula now deploys UAVs mid-mission (video)

Par :Yuri Zoria

ukraine unveils ursula river drone kamikaze mode — flying onboard ukrainian unmanned riverine surface developed novitechnet carrying uav 2025 youtube/association engineers ukrainian-riverine-surface-drone-ursula-carrying-a-uav its multi-function build meant complex sabotage operations dense

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion, the new Ursula sabotage-ready river drone can either strike with explosives or deploy an FPV drone mid-mission, giving Ukrainian forces new options for river-based operations.

Drone warfare has defined much of the Russo-Ukrainian war, with unmanned systems deployed across air, land, and sea. Now, Ukraine is also advancing a fourth domain—river warfare—by developing robotic systems designed for inland waters alongside its growing maritime drone fleet.

Ursula sabotage-ready river drone expands battlefield versatility

According to Militarnyi, the Association of Ukrainian Engineers reports that Ukrainian firm NoviTechNet has developed a new compact unmanned surface vessel named Ursula. Measuring about one meter in length, the vessel can support different mission profiles depending on its configuration.

According to the Association, the Ursula sabotage-ready river drone can perform reconnaissance along rivers, canals, and coastal areas. It can also operate in kamikaze mode as, in the developers’ words, a “floating mine,” carrying an explosive payload to strike enemy targets. Alternatively, it can transport and launch a small FPV drone — either for surveillance or attack — directly from the water. 

The design is intended for sabotage and reconnaissance missions in difficult, narrow river networks and front-line water zones where larger systems cannot operate.

Ukraine’s growing use of unmanned river vessels

This is not the first Ukrainian-made unmanned boat built for river operations. Earlier this year, Ukraine’s Defense Forces began testing the Black Widow 2 drone boat. Like Ursula, it measures one meter long. It weighs 8 kg, reaches speeds up to 40 km/h, and has an operational range of 10 km.

Black Widow 2 can remain in standby mode for several days while awaiting a target. However, unlike Ursula, it does not carry or launch FPV drones.

“Controlling a one-meter electric boat may seem like child’s play, but the vessel is more dangerous than it looks. Besides spying and recon missions, the river drone can be loaded with several kilograms of explosives. The 3 kg payload, according to the developer, is enough to destroy small boats and vessels,” Militarnyi noted.

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