Ukraine Sea Drone Lands Ground Drone On Kinburn Spit, Attacks Russian Positions

A Ukrainian sea drone landed an armed ground drone on the beach of the Russian-occupied portion of the Kinburn Spit, a peninsula near where the Dnipro River enters the Black Sea.

The ground drone, controlled remotely by Ukrainian troops, then attacked Russian positions on the Spit. What the drones may or may not have accomplished is less important than the fact that the mission was carried out, demonstrating the potential for autonomous warfare, particularly in extremely dangerous environments. JL 

Roman Sheremata reports in his substack:

In  the "first combat mission of this type known," a Ukrainian sea drone delivered a ground drone to Russian-held territory on the Kinburn Spit, Ukraine's 123rd Territorial Brigade said. "A ground-based robot was delivered to the enemy shore by an unmanned sea platform, landed on the occupied territory and performed a combat mission," Russian troops entered the 40-kilometer-long (about 25-mile) Kinburn Spit in March 2022. The spit remains strategically important due to its location, as control of the area has enabled Russian forces to influence access to parts of the Black Sea. Shipping routes from the ports of Kherson and Mykolaiv converge nearby.
In the "first combat mission of this type known," a Ukrainian sea drone delivered a ground drone to Russian-held territory on the Kinburn Spit, Ukraine's 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade said on July 13.

"A ground-based robotic complex was delivered to the enemy shore by an unmanned sea platform, landed on the occupied territory and used to perform a combat mission," the brigade said in a post on social media.

"This is a new approach to war, where the most dangerous tasks are performed by a machine, and the Ukrainian military creates new rules of modern combat," it added.

Ground drones are becoming an increasingly important part of Ukraine’s war effort, helping transport supplies, evacuate wounded soldiers, clear mines, and carry out combat missions without putting troops at risk.

In a video accompanying the post, the ground drone is seen disembarking a sea drone on the shore at the Kinburn Spit. It is later seen firing at a target, but no details were given about damage or casualties it caused.

The Kinburn Spit is a narrow sandy peninsula in southern Ukraine, located between the Dnipro-Buh Estuary and the Black Sea. The area is part of Mykolaiv Oblast and has been contested during Russia's full-scale invasion.

Russian troops entered the 40-kilometer-long (about 25-mile) Kinburn Spit in March 2022 from the then-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. The spit remains strategically important due to its location, as control of the area has enabled Russian forces to influence access to parts of the Black Sea. Shipping routes from the ports of Kherson and Mykolaiv converge nearby.