Russia's sea drones run on smuggled Starlink. Ukraine sank three before they reached shore

Russia's sea drones run on smuggled Starlink reports a maritime countermeasure in the Black Sea. Ukrainian forces destroyed three Russian unmanned surface vessels before they reached the coast, the Ukrainian Navy said on June 24. The interception was carried out in a coordinated action with the Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), after Ukrainian military units detected the drones ahead of the coastline. The reported location was in the Black Sea near the Kinburn Spit, south of Ochakiv, along the Mykolaiv-Kherson coastline. The article also says the destroyed boats had Starlink onboard, with claims that Russia lacked other long-range control systems for naval drones. It notes Russia planned a major 2026 unmanned campaign that was disrupted after SpaceX blocked Russian access to Starlink in February 2026, citing prior reporting.