Russian forces have developed an unmanned surface vessel that is already being used on the Dnepr River, according to a serviceman from the unmanned systems troops of the 18th Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group, who goes by the call sign Barsik.

He told RIA Novosti that one such vessel was disabled by Ukrainian troops only after eight nighttime FPV-drone attacks.

The boats are assembled in the 18th Army’s UAV laboratory from readily available materials. According to Barsik, they are deployed on the Dnepr, and in one episode Ukrainian forces had to spend eight FPV drones in a single run to knock out one Russian unmanned boat.

Barsik said the vessels are usually used to mine channels in the Dnepr floodplain and around the islands. At first, Ukrainian troops did not understand what they were facing, but later identified the craft and began firing at them.

The boat can carry up to 15 kilograms. Its operating range depends on the power of the communications equipment used by the operator during a specific combat mission.