385th Unmanned Surface Vehicles Brigade (Ukraine)
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 385th Naval Unmanned Surface Vehicles Brigade
| image =
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Brigade Insignia
| native_name = 385-та окрема бригада морських безпілотних комплексів спеціального призначення
| dates = 2023-present
| garrison =
| country = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| branch = 20px Unmanned Systems Forces
{{navy|Ukraine}} (till 2024)
| type = Brigade
| role = USV operations
| size =
| command_structure = 20px USF Command
| nickname =
| motto =
| colors =
| colors_label =
| battles = Russo-Ukrainian War
| specialization =
| decorations =
}}
The 385th Naval Unmanned Surface Vehicles Brigade is a brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces. It was established in August 2023 as a part of Ukrainian Navy operated by USV operatives from HUR and SBU. It is the world's first and, as of May 2025, the only military unit dedicated to the operation of naval USVs.
History
The existence of Ukrainian USVs has been public knowledge since their first combat use by the Ukrainian Navy in September 2022 during a raid in Sevastopol{{Cite web|title=Маск підтвердив зрив атаки дронів на російський флот у Криму і каже про "необхідність перемир’я"|url=https://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2023/09/8/704078/|website=Економічна правда|accessdate=2024-02-11|language=uk|archivedate=2024-01-22|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122225900/https://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2023/09/8/704078/}} and since then the USVs have been used on combat on multiple occasions to destroy Russian assets, mostly in the Black Sea.
In August 2023, the brigade was officially established as the first specialized brigade concerned with Unmanned Surface Vehicles in the world{{Cite web|title=У ВМС України створили бригаду морських дронів|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/u-vms-ukrayiny-stvoryly-brygadu-morskyh-droniv/|website=Ukrainian Military|accessdate=2023-09-01|language=uk|archivedate=2023-08-28|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828125452/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/u-vms-ukrayiny-stvoryly-brygadu-morskyh-droniv/}}{{Cite web|title=World's First Specialized Explosive Naval Drone Unit Formed In Ukraine|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/worlds-first-specialized-explosive-naval-drone-unit-formed-in-ukraine/|website=Naval News|date=2023-08-31|accessdate=2023-09-01|language=en-US|first=H. I.|last=Sutton|archivedate=2023-08-31|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831123117/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/worlds-first-specialized-explosive-naval-drone-unit-formed-in-ukraine/}} and on August 24, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky presented the newly created brigade with a combat flag.{{Cite web|url=https://www.president.gov.ua/news/z-nagodi-dnya-nezalezhnosti-ukrayini-volodimir-zelenskij-vru-85161|title=З нагоди Дня Незалежності України Володимир Зеленський вручив державні нагороди, відзнаки та бойові прапори військовим частинам|date=August 24, 2023|website=Office of the President of Ukraine|archivedate=2023-08-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826145306/https://www.president.gov.ua/news/z-nagodi-dnya-nezalezhnosti-ukrayini-volodimir-zelenskij-vru-85161|accessdate=2023-09-01}}
In August 2023, the Russians created a barricade near the Crimean Bridge to protect it against Ukrainian USVs,{{Cite web|title=Росіяни створили загородження біля Кримського мосту з затоплених барж|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/rosiyany-stvoryly-zagorodzhennya-bilya-krymskogo-mostu-z-zatoplenyh-barzh/|website=Мілітарний|accessdate=2023-09-19|language=uk|archivedate=2023-09-06|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906163515/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/rosiyany-stvoryly-zagorodzhennya-bilya-krymskogo-mostu-z-zatoplenyh-barzh/}} but it was destroyed by USVs in November 2023.{{Cite web|title=Бонові загородження біля мосту через Керченську протоку затонули|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/bonovi-zagorodzhennya-bilya-mostu-cherez-kerchensku-protoku-zatonuly/|website=Мілітарний|accessdate=2024-02-13|language=uk|archivedate=2023-12-16|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216161958/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/bonovi-zagorodzhennya-bilya-mostu-cherez-kerchensku-protoku-zatonuly/}}
On 14 September 2023, two Russian Project 22160 patrol ships were damaged by Ukrainian USVs{{Cite web|title=У Чорному морі уразили два кораблі РФ типу "Василий Быков"|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/u-chornomu-mori-urazyly-dva-korabli-rf-typu-vasylyj-bykov/|website=Мілітарний|accessdate=2023-09-14|language=uk|archivedate=2023-09-14|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914225408/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/u-chornomu-mori-urazyly-dva-korabli-rf-typu-vasylyj-bykov/}}{{Cite web|title=Водні дрони, Ілон Маск та високоточні ракети: як Україна відвоювала Чорне море|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2024/01/1/7435326/|website=Українська правда|accessdate=2024-02-09|language=uk|archivedate=2024-01-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119094025/https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2024/01/1/7435326/}} and in addition to the two patrol ships, the Russian corvette Samum was also hit by Sea Baby USVs{{cite web|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/09/15/7419986/|title=Ukrainian SeaBaby drone hits Russian Samum missile warship in Black Sea|date=September 15, 2023|website=Ukrainska Pravda}}{{Cite web|title=Дрон "Морський малюк" підбив у Чорному морі російський ракетний корабель "Самум" – джерела|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2023/09/15/7419986/|website=Українська правда|accessdate=2023-09-19|language=uk}} with considerable damage being seen in a later video of the ship.{{Cite web|title=З’явилися знімки буксирування корабля РФ "Самум", якого підбив "Морський малюк" СБУ|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2023/09/16/7420098/|website=Українська правда|accessdate=2023-09-19|language=uk|archivedate=2023-09-19|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919104643/https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2023/09/16/7420098/}}
In October 2023, the Project 22160 patrol ship Pavlo Derzhavin was damaged by a Sea Baby USV attack.{{Cite news|title=У ВМС підтвердили пошкодження російського корабля "Павел Державин"|url=https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-poshkodzhennya-vms-pavel-derzhavyn-/32634105.html|work=Радіо Свобода|date=12 October 2023|accessdate=2 November 2023|language=uk|first=Радіо|last=Свобода}} Similarly the tugboat Mykolai Muru was also damaged by a USV attack in October 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://suspilne.media/593985-vms-zsu-pidtverdili-urazenna-ratuvalnogo-buksirnogo-sudna-v-rajoni-sevastopola/|title=ВМС ЗСУ підтвердили ураження рятувального буксирного судна в районі Севастополя|date=14 October 2023|website=Social News}}
In December 2023 the
Russian demining, reconnaissance and hydrographic ship Volodymyr Kozytskyi was damaged by a Ukrainian Sea Baby USV.{{Cite web|title=В Україні прокоментували можливий підрив на міні катера РФ "Владимир Козицкий"|url=https://ua.krymr.com/a/news-mozhlyvyi-pidryv-na-mini-katera-rf-vladimir-kozitskiy/32656631.html|website=Крым.Реалии|date=2023-10-27|accessdate=2024-02-11|language=uk}}
File:GUR footage of 1 February 2024 attack on Ivanovets by Group 13.webm
On 1 February 2024, the Main Directorate of Intelligence published a video of the MAGURA V5 attack on the Russian corvette Ivanovets.{{Cite web|url=https://tsn.ua/ato/sche-odin-cvyah-u-mozhlivosti-chornomorskogo-flotu-rf-ekspert-pro-znischennya-katera-ivanovyec-2505154.html|title=Знищення російського катера "Івановєц": як це вплине на Чорноморський флот РФ|date=2024-02-01|website=ТСН.ua|language=uk|access-date=2024-06-23}}{{Cite web|url=https://tverezo.info/post/184853|title=Ракетний катер "Ивановец", знищений ЗСУ. Що про нього відомо і як він потопив український корвет|last=Тверезо|date=2024-02-03|website=Тверезий погляд|language=uk|access-date=2024-06-23}} On February 14, 2024, the large amphibious assault ship Tsezar Kunikov was sunk by Ukrainian MAGURA V5 near Alupka.{{Cite web|title=Морські дрони України знищили десантний корабель "Цезарь Куников"|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/morski-drony-ukrayiny-znyshhyly-desantnyj-korabel-tsezar-kunykov/|website=Мілітарний|accessdate=2024-02-14|language=uk|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214093751/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/morski-drony-ukrayiny-znyshhyly-desantnyj-korabel-tsezar-kunykov/|archivedate=2024-02-14}}
On March 5, 2024, the large amphibious assault ship Sergey Kotov was sunk by Ukrainian MAGURA V5 near the Kerch Strait.{{Cite web|url=https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/ukrayinski-drony-urazyly-rosijskyj-patrulnyj-korabel-sergej-kotov/|title=Українські дрони уразили російський патрульний корабель "Сергей Котов"|website=Мілітарний|language=uk|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305104143/https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/ukrayinski-drony-urazyly-rosijskyj-patrulnyj-korabel-sergej-kotov/|archivedate=2024-03-05|accessdate=2024-03-05}}
On 6 May 2024, Russia released footage of a Ka-29 using gunfire on a Sea Baby USV of the brigade. The drone was armed with a R-73 infrared missile, to defend it from helicopters. One missile appeared to have been fired before it was destroyed by gun fire.{{cite news |author=THOMAS NEWDICK |title= Ukrainian Drone Boats Now Armed With Adapted Air-To-Air Missiles|url= https://www.twz.com/news-features/ukrainian-drone-boats-now-armed-with-adapted-air-to-air-missiles |website=TWZ |date=6 May 2024 |accessdate=10 May 2024}}
On 30 May 2024, the Main Directorate of Intelligence confirmed the destruction of two Russian boats of the KC-701 Tuna type with the help of MAGURA V5 strike drones.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKE93i6N9dc |title="Тунець по-кримськи" від ГУР |date=2024-05-30 |last=Головне управління розвідки МО України |access-date=2024-07-16 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |title=Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence confirms destruction of 2 Russian boats in Crimea, 2 more damaged – video |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/30/7458320/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Ukrainska Pravda |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=DIU destroys two Russian boats in Crimea |url=https://mil.in.ua/en/news/diu-destroys-two-russian-boats-in-crimea/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Militarnyi |language=en-US}}
On June 24, 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine, reported that Sea Baby USVs had laid more than 15 Naval mines near Crimea and these had damaged four Russian warships.{{Cite web|url=https://ua.korrespondent.net/world/worldabus/4696535-drony-sbu-provely-pershe-v-sviti-uspishne-dystantsiine-minuvannia-zmi|title=Дрони СБУ провели перше в світі успішне дистанційне мінування - ЗМІ|website=ua.korrespondent.net|language=ru|access-date=2024-06-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://tsn.ua/ato/droni-sbu-urazili-4-korabli-rf-zavdyaki-distanciynomu-minuvannyu-detali-unikalnih-specoperaciy-vid-wsj-2606850.html|title=Дрони СБУ уразили 4 кораблі РФ завдяки дистанційному мінуванню: деталі унікальних спецоперацій від WSJ|date=2024-06-24|website=ТСН.ua|language=uk|access-date=2024-06-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-ato/3878119-zavdaki-distancijnomu-minuvannu-droni-sbu-urazili-cotiri-rosijski-korabli-wsj.html|title=Завдяки дистанційному мінуванню дрони СБУ уразили чотири російські кораблі - WSJ|date=2024-06-24|website=www.ukrinform.ua|language=uk|access-date=2024-06-25}}
On 10 August 2024, a MAGURA V5 of the brigade destroyed a Russian KS 701 Tunets high-speed boat near the settlement of Chornomorske.{{cite web |title=Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence fighters destroy another boat near Crimea – video |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/08/10/7469788/ |website=Ukrainska Pravda |access-date=12 August 2024 |language=en}}
Personnel and equipment
The USV operatives of the brigade are mostly the operatives from the Main Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service of Ukraine and most other personnel come from the Ukrainian Navy. The brigade is known to operate multiple types of USVs including:
