Stop, Police Sanctions! New Ukrainian Surface Drone (USV) Involved In Attack
Another new attack by Ukrainian USVs (uncrewed surface vessels) reveals yet another previously unreported type. On May 28th three Russian-linked tankers attacked by USVs in southern Black Sea near the entrance to the Bosporus. The Tanker James II (IMO: 9253909) was struck, the tanker Velora (IMO: 9290373) was also hit but the two USVs failed to explode, and the Altura (IMO: 9292199) damaged. Video of the attack on the Velora shows the new USV.
The USV is painted black with ‘Police’ written on the side in Ukrainian (‘Поліція’). It is a similar size to typical strike USVs but features a single outboard motor which has a partial casing around the front. This likely offers some protection for the engine and also acts as a mast for communications and radar antenna. A typical electro-optical sensor ball is positioned forward. Specifications are not reported.
The new USV struck the targeted vessel, which was transshipping with another tanker but appears at that moment unladen, from behind under the engine room. This is a location used effectively to disable tankers by both Ukrainian and Iranian USVs. Unusually it did not explode, providing a clear view of it in video recorded from another tanker alongside. A second USV, probably a AEGIR-W is visible in the background. The type of USV which struck the tanker James II (IMO: 9253909) is not known at this time.
Although this USV is new to us, it is possibly the type used in on 3rd May when two Russian linked tankers were hit by Ukrainian USVs outside Novorossiysk.
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