Ukraine Deploys USV-Launched Interceptor Drone Against Shahed
In a notable military first, the newly established Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) successfully intercepted and destroyed a Russian Shahed long-range strike drone using a specialized interceptor drone launched directly from an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) operating in the Black Sea.
Date: April 19, 2026
Location: Black Sea, Ukraine
Conflict: Russia-Ukraine War
Category: naval
Severity: MEDIUM
Source: Institute for the Study of War