On May 14, 2025, in Kyiv, the Head of the Military Development Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, and a team of special service specialists publicly presented the Magura series of naval strike drones for the first time.
Points of attention
- The Magura V7 marine drones introduced by DIU mark a significant advancement in Ukrainian defense technology, showcasing unique capabilities in naval strike operations.
- Ukrainian fighters of the special forces unit effectively utilized Magura drones to carry out successful strikes on naval and air targets, turning the tide of the conflict in the Black Sea.
- The fear-inducing effectiveness of Magura drones on Russian sailors is a testament to Ukraine's defense prowess and the strategic advantage provided by the innovative drone technology.
Budanov introduced a new generation of Magura drones
GUR introduced a new line of Magura drones:
Magura V5, a “killer” capable of operating as a swarm of ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet;
Magura V6P multifunctional platform;
the Magura V7 missile-carrying drone, which for the first time in history destroyed an enemy combat aircraft;
Magura V7 model equipped with a combat machine gun module.
Magura sea drones are the latest technological weapons, thanks to which the fighters of the GUR Group 13 special forces unit managed to turn the situation in the Black Sea in favor of Ukraine.
In many cultures, the number “13” is considered unlucky. For the Russian invaders, it is. This phenomenon is called “triskaidekaphobia” — fear of the number “13”. And now this fear is intensifying to the maximum: Russian sailors are afraid, but definitely not Ukrainians, because they know that the special unit of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s GUR Group 13 — a component of the unmanned and robotic systems unit — effectively destroys the enemy and protects Ukraine, said Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s GUR.
During the two years of combat use of various modifications of the Magura drone during the Black Sea War, the masters of military intelligence hit a total of 17 sea and air targets of the aggressor state of Russia, 15 of which were completely destroyed: in particular, two enemy Mi-8 helicopters, two Su-30 fighters, large ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet “Sergey Kotov”, “Ivanovets”, “Tsezar Kunikov” and other vessels. The damage inflicted on the enemy is estimated at more than half a billion dollars.
It was a challenge for us to start our work from scratch. Previously, there was no such experience anywhere, there was no place to draw information. But two years ago, we first hit the Russian reconnaissance ship “Ivan Khurs”. And today we can confidently say that the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Group 13, have pushed the Russian Black Sea Fleet to their bases. They are constrained in their actions, they do not perform any tasks as assigned, ― said the commander of the group with the call sign “Thirteenth”.
The elegant Magura V7 with two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on board, with which the GUR special forces shot down two Russian Su-30 fighters with a total value of over $100 million, aroused the greatest interest.
The emergence and development of the Magura missile is the merit of engineers and manufacturers who remain behind the scenes, but continue to create and improve Ukraine's weapons of victory at sea.
