Magura V7
The larger, missile-armed evolution of Ukraine's Magura naval drone — a sea drone that carries AIM-9 Sidewinders and, in May 2025, became the first uncrewed vessel to shoot down crewed fighter jets, downing two Russian Su-30s in the Black Sea.
The larger, missile-armed evolution of Ukraine's Magura uncrewed surface vessel — a sea drone that carries AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and, in May 2025, became the first uncrewed vessel in history to shoot down crewed fighter jets, downing two Russian Su-30s over the Black Sea.
Overview
The Magura V7 is a Ukrainian missile-armed uncrewed surface vessel (USV), the bigger and more capable successor to the Magura V5 that redefined Black Sea warfare. Designed by Ukraine's state-owned SpetsTechnoExport (the Magura family is associated with the UForce brand) and operated by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine's (HUR) special unit "Group 13," it is built as a multi-role strike and air-defence platform rather than a single-use ramming charge. Its defining capability is a twin launcher for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, which HUR used to make the Magura, in its own words, "the world's first marine drone to destroy aerial targets." The V7 has partly superseded the V5 in HUR service.
Development
The Magura V7 emerged from the rapid, wartime iteration of Ukraine's USV family — a lineage that ran from the improvised Magura V1 of 2022 through the combat-proven V5 — as Ukraine sought a larger hull with better sea-keeping and a built-in air-defence role, as catalogued by naval analyst H.I. Sutton. The reshaped bow and greater displacement were aimed at year-round operations in rougher winter seas. In October 2025 HUR's Group 13 took delivery of a V7 funded entirely through a public fundraising campaign run by the Diana Podolyanchuk Charity Foundation, a striking example of Ukraine's crowdfunded-warfare model, as The Defense Post reported.
Design & capabilities
The Magura V7 is a remote-controlled, multi-purpose drone boat roughly 7 metres long (naval analyst H.I. Sutton puts it at 7.5 m) and about 2 metres wide — distinctly larger than the 5.5-metre V5 — with a lightweight fibreglass-and-polyethylene hull massing around 3,400 kg, per The Defense Post. A 270-horsepower diesel engine drives it to about 39 knots (72 km/h), with a range of roughly 800 nautical miles (about 1,480 km) and, thanks to an onboard generator, autonomous operation for up to seven days. The reshaped hull is rated to Sea State 3 (waves to ~1.25 m), giving it the rough-water endurance the smaller hulls lacked.
The V7's signature feature is its weaponry. It can mount a twin launcher for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles — a "FrankenSAM" adaptation of a fighter weapon to a boat — alongside a machine-gun turret for close-in defence; the wider Magura family has also carried the R-73/"Sea Dragon" missile in the same air-defence role, per H.I. Sutton. It is steered by an autopilot with multiple video feeds over an encrypted satellite link (Starlink-class), and carries an acoustic monitoring system, night-vision sensors and day/night gyro-stabilised electro-optical turrets for surveillance and targeting.
Variants
- Magura V5: the smaller (5.5 m) base attack USV and air-defence pioneer; see Magura V5.
- Magura W6 / V6: intermediate air-defence-configured variants carrying the "Sea Dragon" system (R-73 or Sidewinder); the V6 appeared at NATO's REPMUS 25 exercise.
- Magura V7: the larger, missile-armed multi-role vessel described here.
- Red Cat V7 (US): an American firm, Red Cat, began serial production of a V7-derived USV in 2026, branding it a domestic design after a Ukrainian partnership — an early sign of export pull, per Euromaidan Press.
Combat record / operational use
The Magura family opened the era of the air-defence sea drone. On 31 December 2024 a Magura (V5) downed Russian Mi-8 helicopters near Cape Tarkhankut — the first air-to-air kill by an uncrewed vessel. The breakthrough credited to the V7 came in early May 2025: HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov said that three Magura V7 drones armed with AIM-9 Sidewinders shot down two Russian Su-30 multirole fighters near Novorossiysk — the first time a naval drone had destroyed crewed combat jets, as reported by RBC-Ukraine and Defence Express. HUR credits the Magura family with destroying more than a dozen Russian targets, including ships, helicopters and jets. (Attribution caveat: naval analyst H.I. Sutton notes the 3 May 2025 Su-30 engagement has also been associated with an SBU-operated Sea Wolf USV firing an R-73, and several Ukrainian USV types now carry the same missiles — open-source attribution among them varies; the V7-with-Sidewinder account is HUR's.) The Magura family has since drawn intense Western and allied interest: the drones featured at the US–Philippine Balikatan 2026 exercise and made an Indo-Pacific debut near Taiwan.
Advantages
- Air-defence from the sea: the first practical USV that can credibly threaten helicopters and even fighter jets, forcing Russian aviation to stand off.
- Bigger, rougher-sea capable: larger hull and Sea State 3 rating extend operations into winter weather that grounded earlier USVs.
- Long reach and endurance: ~800 nm range and up to seven days autonomous loiter via an onboard generator.
- Cheap relative to its targets: a drone boat that downs a ~$50 million Su-30 is a radically favourable exchange.
- Multi-role: strike, air defence and ISR on one platform, with EO/IR turrets and encrypted satcom control.
Drawbacks / limitations
- Satcom dependence: relies on a Starlink-class link vulnerable to jamming or denial.
- Modest speed and signature: ~39 knots leaves an engagement window once detected, and Russia is actively hunting USVs from the air and with fast craft.
- Missile supply: the air-defence role depends on a finite stock of adapted Sidewinder/R-73 missiles.
- Sea-state limits: capable to Sea State 3, but heavy seas still constrain operations.
- Contested attribution and small numbers: high-value kills are claimed by HUR and hard to independently verify, and the fleet remains small.
Counterparts
- Magura V5 (Ukraine) — the smaller predecessor that pioneered USV anti-ship and air-defence strikes.
- Sea Baby (Ukraine) — the SBU's larger, higher-payload USV; a complementary rather than competing design.
- Russia has no comparable fielded air-defence USV, and is instead developing counter-USV craft (e.g. the Katran program) in response.
Outlook
The Magura V7 marks the maturation of the sea drone from one-way bomb into a reusable, missile-armed combatant that contests both the surface and the air above it. The trajectory to watch is proliferation and the counter-game: HUR is fielding more V7s (including crowdfunded units), Western firms such as Red Cat are productionizing the concept, and the Magura family is being demonstrated in the Indo-Pacific — even as Russia races to field counter-USV defences and electronic warfare against the satellite links the drones depend on. If the air-defence role proves repeatable, the V7's real legacy may be doctrinal: a cheap robotic boat that can deny a slice of airspace to a conventional air force.
Key specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Missile-armed multi-role uncrewed surface vessel (USV) |
| Endurance | Up to ~7 days autonomous (onboard generator) |
| Range | ~800 nm (~1,480 km) |
| Cruise / max speed | ~39 kt (72 km/h) max |
| Payload | ~650 kg; twin AIM-9 Sidewinder launcher + machine-gun turret (R-73 in some configs) |
| Datalink / control | Encrypted satellite link (Starlink-class) + autopilot; multiple video feeds |
| Autonomy level | Remote-piloted with autopilot/waypoint navigation; human-in-the-loop |
| Dimensions / MTOW | ~7 m (Sutton: 7.5 m) length, ~2 m beam; ~3,400 kg; Sea State 3 capable |
| Launch & recovery | Surface-launched (shore or vessel); reusable multi-role platform |
Sources
- The Defense Post — Ukraine's Intelligence Unit Accepts Magura V7 Sea Drone Funded by Charity Drive (full spec sheet). https://thedefensepost.com/2025/10/27/ukraine-magura-sea-drone/
- H.I. Sutton / Covert Shores — Overview of Ukrainian Maritime Drones (USVs) of the Russo-Ukrainian War. https://www.hisutton.com/Ukrainian-USVs-Russo-Ukraine-War.html
- RBC-Ukraine — New photos show Ukrainian Magura V7 naval drone (Su-30 shootdowns). https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/new-photos-show-ukrainian-magura-v7-naval-1765124266.html
- Defence Express — New photos show Magura V7 naval drone armed with surface-to-air missiles (AIM-9). https://en.defence-ua.com/news/new_photos_show_magura_v7_naval_drone_armed_with_surface_to_air_missiles-16748.html
- Euromaidan Press — US Red Cat announces serial production of a copy of Ukraine's Magura V7. https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/06/03/american-defense-company-red-cat-announces-serial-production-of-copy-of-ukraines-magura-v7-and-says-its-their-own-development/
- United24 Media — Magura sea drones make Indo-Pacific debut near Taiwan. https://united24media.com/world/magura-sea-drones-make-indo-pacific-debut-by-sinking-ship-at-17000-troop-military-drills-19641
- GUR.gov.ua — Group 13 receives another Magura V7 sea drone (HUR statement). https://gur.gov.ua/content/diieva-pidtrymka-vid-ukraintsiv-spetspidrozdil-hur-group-13-otrymav-cherhovyi-morskyi-dron-magura-v7.html
- Ukrainska Pravda — The war at sea rages on: Russia's counter to maritime drones. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles/2025/12/15/8011813/
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