According to analysts from the Polish outlet Interia, the Russian Armed Forces’ new tactic of using unmanned boats «Sirius-82» in the Dnieper delta could seriously complicate the situation for the Ukrainian military. Citing their sources, the authors note that the Ukrainian army has reportedly never encountered this type of unmanned surface vessel before.

The observers stress that, in their view, mining the Dnieper with such systems could significantly hinder the actions of Ukrainian forces attempting to carry out amphibious operations.

The day before, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported a successful operation by Russian troops in the Dnieper delta in Kherson Region, during which «Sirius-82» boats were deployed. The ministry stated that one of the key missions of these craft is laying minefields: the platform is capable of quickly deploying two moored river mines.

A platoon commander from a unit of unmanned systems, identified by the callsign «Kolibri» said that an upgraded version of the boat is currently in use. He explained that the introduction of these unmanned boats has solved the problem of delivering mines, which had previously been difficult to handle with multicopters due to the weight of the payload.

It is also noted that the capabilities of «Sirius-82» are not limited to mine-laying. The unmanned boat is described as a multi-purpose platform that can also be used as a strike asset to directly engage targets.