The Ukrainian drone “Toloka” is capable of destroying the Crimean Bridge and Russian ports, reports Forbes.

At the exhibition in Lviv, the Ukrainian side presented the underwater drone Toloka-1000, which may pose a threat to the Crimean Bridge and marine platforms in the Black Sea. This robotic submarine is equipped with a payload of up to five tons and is designed to perform tasks related to mining and targeting large stationary objects.

Crimean Bridge Under Threat

The Kerch Bridge and marine platforms in the Black Sea play an important strategic and symbolic role for Russia.

Ukraine’s attacks on the bridge, starting with the truck attack in October 2022 and continuing with drone attacks in 2023-2024, have demonstrated the vulnerability of this infrastructure. Despite this, the bridge supports have not yet been destroyed. The presence of underwater drones with large charges significantly complicates counter-mine measures and threatens shipping.

Effective sea mines and underwater explosions can hinder access to ports, necessitating demining and slowing operations even without massive destruction. New underwater drones provide the opportunity to create corridors for subsequent attacks, including launching FPV squadrons and operations against coastal infrastructure.

Development of Underwater Technologies

The global community is also actively working on creating autonomous underwater systems. The list of developer countries includes the USA, the UK, Australia, China, France, and Israel. However, Ukraine’s approach stands out with its emphasis on accessibility and preference for unconventional, cheap, and disposable solutions, making such systems more accessible under limited resources.

The emergence of “Toloka” drones raises the level of underwater warfare, covering a wide range of tasks — from reconnaissance and counter-mine warfare to possible offensive operations against important infrastructure. This motivates opponents to strengthen their defensive systems both underwater and above water, turning the Black Sea into an even more dangerous conflict zone.

What is Known About “Toloka” Drones

The Toloka concern presented a line of several marine drones, including a developed model 12 meters long. There are at least three models that can operate at different distances: TLK-200, TLK-400, and TLK-1000.

The smallest of them, the TLK-200, is equipped with electric motors and is designed to perform missions at a distance of up to 100 km with autonomy of up to 15 days and a depth of up to 300 meters. The medium model, TLK-400, has a hybrid power plant and can operate at a range of up to 1200 km for over 60 days with a combat load of up to 500 kg. Finally, the most powerful TLK-1000 handles tasks at a distance of up to 2000 km and can function autonomously for up to 60 days, carrying a load of up to 5000 kg.

Use of “Toloka” Drones

During recent operations, two Russian amphibious aircraft Be-12 and a Mi-8 helicopter in Crimea were destroyed, which may indicate possible future operations using “Toloka” water drones. The development of such technologies indicates an improvement in the qualifications of Ukrainian forces in underwater and modern aeronautical warfare.

There is no doubt that this direction in the development of military technologies influences the strategic map of the Black Sea, creating additional challenges for the protection of key objects.