Ukrainian expertise in maritime drone development will be channeled by German company Stark which operates an R&D center in Ukraine and is known for its Virtus loitering munitions used by Ukraine's Defense Forces into a new maritime drone called Vanta, currently under development.
The Vanta is being proposed specifically for operations against russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea. Defense Express was informed of this by Stark. Formalization of this cooperation at the state level is expected to take place during the International Naval Defence Conference, to be held in Kyiv on June 8–9.
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The conference will bring together representatives from Ukraine, Germany, and Northern and Baltic European countries to discuss the integration of Ukrainian experience in maritime drone operations in the Black Sea into maritime monitoring systems of partner countries, as well as its application to improve detection of suspicious vessels and counter threats particularly in the Baltic and Northern European regions.
The Vanta is described as suitable for monitoring russian tankers and enabling enhanced maritime situational awareness to strengthen regional security and deterrence.
The Baltic Sea remains one of the key zones of hybrid confrontation, marked by sanctions evasion through the shadow fleet, as well as incidents involving subsea infrastructure and GPS navigation. Ukraine has effectively developed unique practical expertise in the operational use of maritime unmanned systems in real combat conditions, and this experience is now being actively studied by European partners in the context of strengthening security in the Baltic and Northern European regions, said Maksym Cherkis, COO of Stark in Ukraine.
As a reminder, the Vanta was first unveiled in September 2025. The Vanta 6 variant six meters in length has a range of up to 910 nautical miles (1,685 km), a speed exceeding 45 knots (83 km/h), and a modular payload capacity of up to 200 kg, including the ability to carry UAVs. The maritime drone is declared to feature advanced AI algorithms, satellite analysis, and maritime monitoring capabilities.
Stark noted that their system can detect suspicious vessels even when transponders are switched off standard practice for shadow fleet tankers: it analyzes satellite data, cross-references it with maritime traffic signals, and can track targets over extended periods, effectively providing continuous monitoring.
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