Ukraine has revealed a new compact naval weapon — Ursula — a tiny drone boat that can carry and launch FPV drones for attack and reconnaissance missions, Forbes tech correspondent David Hambling reports. The boat, only one meter (about three feet) long, was introduced in a video from the Association of Ukrainian Engineers and developed by startup ToviTechNet.
As Ukraine faces Russia’s full-scale invasion without access to modern fighter jets, warships, or long-range missile systems — and without formal military alliances — it has embraced asymmetric warfare. With limited conventional tools, Kyiv is turning to innovative, low-cost drone technologies to strike back across land, air, and sea.
“This robot vessel may be the world’s smallest aircraft carrier,” Hambling wrote.
What is Ursula?
- Size: ~1 meter (3 feet) long
- Function: Launches FPV drones or acts as a suicide drone
- Uses: River patrols, swamp operations, reconnaissance, explosive delivery
The boat is designed for shallow waters, rivers, and swamps, giving Ukraine an edge in covert inland operations against Russian forces. It can also be equipped with sensors or explosives for kamikaze missions.
FPV drone attacks from the water
While Ursula’s demo video does not show a drone being launched, Ukraine has already used similar drone boats to launch FPVs in combat.
According to Militarnyi, Ukraine’s armed forces used USVs in January 2025 to strike Russian offshore platforms with drone-launched attacks. FPVs targeted defenders, while the boats deployed underwater mines and rammed the platforms, setting them on fire.
“Flying drones from USVs is already standard practice,” Hambling noted.
Black Widow 2: Ukraine’s other miniature drone boat
The Black Widow 2, another 1-meter-long USV, entered service in early 2025. It features:
- Top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h)
- Gimbal-mounted camera
- Up to 3 kg explosive payload
- “Lurking mode” to hide for days
- Cost: $2,400 per unit
- Production: 100 per month
Although not yet used as a drone carrier, its size and capabilities suggest it could be adapted.
Ukrainian USVs are already launching air strikes
Recent footage shared by Ukrainian military sources shows FPV and fixed-wing drones launched from drone boats during attacks in Russian-occupied Crimea and along the Dnipro River.
In July 2025, Ukraine released a video showing FPVs launched from USVs striking components of a Russian Nebo-M radar system, including the radar command post.
“One FPV strike is enough to destroy an aircraft on deck,” Hambling wrote. “Taking out 95% of the attacking drones and boats may not be enough.”
Long-term potential: Ocean-crossing drone boats
Ukraine’s smaller USVs like Ursula currently rely on battery power, but future systems could follow models like:
- WaveGlider (US Navy) — wave + solar-powered
- Saildrone — wind-powered with extreme endurance
These uncrewed platforms have already crossed oceans and could one day carry drones across the globe, enabling attacks from the sea into any coastal zone.
“They are inexpensive and stealthy… and could cover the world’s oceans,” Hambling noted.
Why this matters
Ursula might be tiny, but its implications are big: FPV drone warfare has now gone naval. What looks like a toy can silently carry deadly drones into enemy territory — from inland rivers to coastal defenses.
As Ukraine pushes drone innovation further, Ursula is a glimpse of how miniature drone boats could reshape future conflicts, one river or shoreline at a time.