Unmanned surface vessels (USVs), widely deployed in the conflict in Ukraine, help offset shortages of certain weapon systems but are unlikely to become a decisive factor on the battlefield. This assessment was shared with Lenta.ru by Alexander Polivach, Candidate of Economic Sciences and senior researcher at IMEMO RAS.

Polivach explained that the small size of these craft makes them harder to detect. At the same time, he pointed out their vulnerabilities: heavy waves slow them down, which increases the chance of detection, even at night. Modern night-vision equipment, he added, can also spot such vessels, allowing them to be destroyed by rapid-fire artillery.

He reminded that unmanned systems have been used in warfare for decades, remarking that the only difference between a kamikaze pilot attacking an aircraft carrier and an AI-driven boat is that the latter cannot shout «banzai.»

Recently, the Novgorod-based Scientific and Production Center Ushkuyanik unveiled a new maritime drone. Military analyst Boris Rozhin noted that the vessel’s key feature is a fiber-optic control cable, which sinks immediately, remains hidden, and resists damage due to its reinforced design.