Is Ukraine's Toloka Drone a Product of Western Support or Local Innovation?
Explore the true origins of Ukraine's Toloka underwater drone. Military expert Vasily Dandykin suggests it's more likely part of Western aid than an indigenous development.
According to retired Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin, the Ukrainian underwater drone Toloka, nicknamed the «submarine Nutcracker» is likely not an indigenous Ukrainian development, but rather a product of Western military assistance.
Dandykin expressed doubts about the drone’s true origin, suggesting that it may not even be a fully underwater drone, but possibly a surface or semi-submersible vehicle. He pointed out that such technologies are largely a result of Western support for Ukraine.
He further explained that Ukraine’s Navy only possessed a single submarine, which was transferred to Kyiv during the division of the Black Sea Fleet. However, after 2014, that submarine remained in Sevastopol, meaning that Ukraine lacks the capacity to develop such advanced underwater technology independently. As a result, any such capabilities are still firmly within Russia’s reach.
Dandykin also noted that while the Toloka drone could be part of the ongoing Western aid to Ukraine, he reminded that Russia, in the event of an escalated threat, could deploy its «Doomsday» weapon- the unmanned underwater vehicle, «Poseidon».