Russia has not yet used unmanned surface vessels to strike hydraulic infrastructure on the Dnieper, but such a scenario is technically possible, according to retired Ukrainian Navy Captain 1st Rank Andrey Ryzhenko, a former deputy chief of staff of the Ukrainian Navy.

Ryzhenko said Ukraine’s aging network of hydraulic structures could be particularly vulnerable. He warned that the destruction of some facilities could cause serious flooding and argued that Ukrainian naval forces should be involved in protecting them.

He identified underwater maritime drones as a particularly serious potential threat, although he acknowledged that such systems have not yet been used in attacks against hydraulic facilities on the Dnieper.

Ryzhenko pointed to an earlier incident in the Danube Delta as an example of the capabilities of Russian unmanned systems. According to him, a Russian drone entered the area and struck the Ukrainian ship Simferopol.

The retired officer also highlighted the geography of the Dnieper and its proximity to the Pripyat. He said the shared body of water could theoretically provide a route for such unmanned systems to enter the Dnieper.

Another possible method, according to Ryzhenko, would be to deliver the drones by air and deploy them directly into the required area.