Since at least the beginning of this year, Ukraine's Defense Forces have been equipping Sea Baby–type naval drones with FPV drones, and now with fiber-optic guidance systems.
At least one such vessel was likely involved in the recent attack on the port of Tuapse, as footage has surfaced online showing a Ukrainian naval drone captured by russian occupation forces.
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The captured vessel is fitted with four containers, each holding an FPV drone. Most notably, these drones are equipped with reels of fiber-optic cable. This is effectively the first documented case of Ukrainian surface drones operating with fiber-optic FPVs.
It appears that a special modification of the Sea Baby platform was developed for such missions, enabling combined operations alongside other types of naval drones, including kamikaze boats.
For russian forces, countering these naval drones has now become significantly more challenging. Beyond repelling "surface threats," they must also contend with FPV drones that, thanks to fiber-optic control, remain functional even in environments saturated with electronic warfare.
It is no longer a secret that Ukraine's Defense Forces use naval drones as carriers for FPV drones. The first documented cases appeared earlier this year, when Ukrainian FPVs destroyed two Pantsir air-defense systems in Kherson Oblast.
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