The Russian army suffered its heaviest watercraft losses in July with 236 units hit
Ukrainian forces have destroyed or disabled 1,039 Russian military cutters and boats since the beginning of 2026. All successful strikes on the enemy watercraft were executed using unmanned aerial vehicles. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
All instances of effective drone strikes have been recorded on video within the DELTA situational awareness system. The data was subsequently verified by the Brave1 defence tech cluster.
The destruction of small watercraft severely weakens the enemy’s ability to maintain control over waterways. It also complicates Russian efforts to transfer personnel, reposition equipment, and supply forward frontline units.
Monthly Breakdown of Russian Boat Losses
Early in the year, strike numbers fluctuated as operations evolved. Ukrainian units disabled 51 Russian vessels in January, while 35 targets were struck throughout February.
Operational tempo increased in the spring months, with 155 watercraft hits confirmed in March. In April, Ukrainian operators disabled 92 vessels, followed by another 76 targets hit during May.
Summer brought peak effectiveness for drone operations against Russian naval assets. After hitting 103 boats in June, operators recorded an all-time high in July with 236 Russian vessels struck.
Autumn Strike Figures and Personnel Casualties
Activity remained intense going into early autumn. In August, the Defence Forces took out 118 Russian cutters and boats, followed by 106 confirmed strikes over September.
Between October 1 and October 25, strike drones hit 67 more enemy vessels, confirming July as the single costliest month of 2026 for Russian boat crews.
Beyond equipment, UAV units have dealt massive losses to enemy manpower. Since January, drones have helped neutralize more than 300,000 Russian soldiers, with the DELTA system recording its highest monthly casualty count in March at nearly 34,000 personnel.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Read also: 452 aircraft destroyed since the start of the war — enemy combat losses as of October 30, 2026
