In practice, Russia proved to be the least prepared for the asymmetric actions of Ukrainian maritime drones, which allowed Ukraine to significantly limit the Russian Navy’s activity in the Black Sea and effectively block it at its bases.
This was stated on Ukrainian Radio by Captain 1st Rank (Reserve) Andrii Ryzhenko, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Navy from 2004 to 2020, according to Ukrinform.
According to him, modern naval warfare is increasingly moving away from the principle of numerical superiority and relies on maneuverability and exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses.
“Maneuver warfare at sea is, among other things, based on asymmetry. Asymmetry means that you identify certain weaknesses in the enemy’s capabilities and either exploit or destroy them,” the expert explained.
According to Ryzhenko, the Russian Black Sea Fleet was built using Cold War-era approaches, designed for the large-scale deployment of a large number of ships, but the emergence of naval drones has exposed a critical vulnerability in this model.
“The strategy relied on deploying such a massive force that would effectively overwhelm the opponent and accomplish its objectives. But thanks to this asymmetric approach, a critical vulnerability of all these massive Russian ships to maritime drones was exposed,” he noted.
According to the expert, despite Russia’s significant advantage at the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine managed to turn the tide thanks to modern technology.
“And thanks to this innovative approach—despite being outnumbered 12 to 1 at the start of the war and 4 to 1 at present—Ukraine has effectively blocked the enemy’s forces in ports and bases,” he said.
The expert added that Russian bases, particularly in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk, have significantly strengthened their defenses and are forced to concentrate additional resources to counter maritime drones.
“Whereas previously the Russians constantly had 50 ships and vessels at sea, now the number of ships is essentially ‘zero.’ And this is precisely why. That’s why drones have truly turned a new page,” he noted.
Ryzhenko also highlighted the promising prospects for the continued use of unmanned systems in the Black Sea to monitor maritime areas, protect ports and maritime infrastructure, ensure the safety of shipping, and prevent the enemy from reaching the lines of fire.
Separately, the expert noted that Western partners are already actively studying Ukraine’s experience with maritime drones and adapting it into both operational concepts and technological solutions.
As reported by Ukrinform, Norway is allocating 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner (109 million euros) for the development and procurement of maritime drones for Ukraine.
