Ukraine equips its Unmanned Surface Vehicles with Shmel M flamethrowers.

According to information published by Defence Express on August 21, 2023, Ukraine has been actively deploying Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) equipped with advanced weaponry against Russian occupying forces, targeting both infrastructure and enemy vessels. One of the significant enhancements to these USVs is the integration of the "Shmel-M" rocket flamethrowers.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Ukrainian Unmanned Surface Vehicle. (Picture source: SBU)

In the fall of 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) tested these USVs in combat conditions for the first time. The vehicles struck two frigates of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, "Admiral Makarov" and "Admiral Essen," in Sevastopol Bay. The latter remained under repair for an extended period following the attack.

The strikes were carried out using then-mysterious drone technology. After the attack, SBU experts realized that the explosive payload of the USVs used was insufficient for effective maritime operations.

This led to an increase in the explosive content on such vehicles. For instance, one version of the USV, "Marine Baby," carries up to 850 kg of hexogen. These updated drones also feature improved control systems.

These enhanced drones, loaded with nearly a ton of explosives, were used in an attack on the Crimean Bridge on July 17th of that year, causing a section of the bridge to collapse.

The integration of the "Shmel-M" rocket flamethrowers into the USVs represents a significant upgrade in their offensive capabilities. While other innovations were introduced, the SBU has not disclosed specific details for obvious reasons.

The head of the Security Service of Ukraine also shared details about a special operation to sabotage the Crimean Bridge on the night of October 8, 2022. Initially, the plan was to use a USV loaded with oil barrels containing explosives.

However, the final plan involved wrapping the explosives in cellophane, imitating large rolls to avoid suspicion and evade customs scanners. The total weight of these "rolls" in TNT equivalent was 21 tons.

An essential task was to bypass Russian electronic warfare systems near the bridge, for which a technically complex system was developed, successfully detonating the explosives at the bridge's midpoint.