First-ever battle between two autonomous naval drones 'won' by Ukraine — thanks to a salvo from a remote weapon turret

Ukraine says its Sargan-3000 drone boat destroyed a Russian counterpart using machine gun fire The reported clash involved two unmanned boats fighting directly at sea No video has emerged showing the reported destruction of the Russian craft Ukraine's Navy has announced that a Sargan-3000 drone boat destroyed an armed Russian counterpart somewhere in the waters of the Black Sea.

Kyiv describes the encounter as the first occasion on which two robotic warships have fought each other directly at sea.

That assertion rests entirely on the Ukrainian account, since no independent party has so far confirmed the situation.

Machine gun fire instead of a warhead According to the announcement, operatives from Kyiv's military intelligence agency, HUR, located the Russian craft before naval crews steered their vessel toward it.

The kill was reportedly achieved with a Protector RWS, a remotely operated turret armed with a 12.7mm weapon rather than explosives.

Until now, most sea drone attacks have relied on ramming an enemy hull with a warhead aboard, thereby destroying the attacking platform.

Small calibre armament suggests an attempt to preserve the attacking platform for further missions instead of expending it in a single strike.

The Protector RWS is a Kongsberg-designed system already used by several NATO militaries, mounted on ground vehicles as well as small craft.

The Ukrainian Navy did not reveal the date, precise location, or any identification of the Russian vessel involved in the incident.

Neither side has published video of the moment of destruction, which is unusual given how heavily both armies publicise drone footage.

A record built on Ukrainian accounts Sargan-3000 boats already carry a reputation in this war, having sunk Izumrud, a Russian patrol ship operated by border guards, near Gelendzhik.

That attack took place in July 2026 and joined a list of fleet units hit since the war in Ukraine started in 2022.

Earlier operations of the same style destroyed Ivanovets, a missile corvette, and Caesar Kunikov, which served as a landing ship.

Those losses contributed to a redeployment that moved naval assets from Crimea eastward to Novorossiysk, a change Moscow has never publicly explained.