The images were published by AP photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky. He captioned the photos: "The Magura V7 naval drone from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, equipped with surface-to-air missiles, sails at an undisclosed location."
The Magura V7 is one of the most innovative naval drones in Ukraine's arsenal. In May 2025, it achieved a historic first: drones of this type successfully downed two russian Su-30 multirole fighters during an operation in the Black Sea.
Read more: How Ukraine's First Magura USVs Were Built in 2022, and Why This Remained Under Wraps Until Now
At the time, reports confirmed that the Magura V7 was armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles — weapons traditionally carried by fighter jets. Ukraine became the first country to employ these missiles from a naval drone, effectively turning the platform into a mobile short-range air-defense system.
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a U.S.-made short-range missile that entered service in the 1950s and remains in production after numerous modernizations. Most variants rely on an infrared homing seeker.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Poland has unveiled its own counterparts to Ukraine's Magura and Sea Baby drones — the SK@RP and StormRider systems.
Read more: Here's Why Magura V7 Uses the Priciest AIM-9X Missile, Not Ukrainian R-73 or Cheaper AIM-9M
