SBU hands over veteran Sea Baby drone to museum: What makes it special
Photo: Sea Baby naval drone (ssu.gov.ua)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has handed over the battle-hardened Sea Baby drone to a museum. This is the very same naval drone that destroyed Russian ships and attacked the Crimean Bridge.
Today, June 13, the Security Service of Ukraine handed over one of the legendary Sea Baby naval drones to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
What makes this drone special
This veteran drone is part of the Security Service of Ukraine’s fleet of naval surface drones, which, during the full-scale invasion, have struck 11 Russian Federation vessels and damaged the Crimean Bridge.
The exhibited model belongs to the class of reusable drones, which return to their base after completing combat missions.
This particular drone successfully carried out several missions, covering over 4,000 kilometers across the Black Sea. Notably, the featured Sea Baby engaged in a naval battle with Russian aircraft in December 2024.
Although the drone sustained significant damage, it completed its combat tasks and returned to base. Due to the damage, it can no longer be used for operational purposes, so the Sea Baby has been fully secured and transferred to the museum.
Uniqueness of Sea Baby drones
According to Brigadier General Ivan Lukashevych of the SBU’s military counterintelligence, the Sea Baby surface naval drone is a unique development that surpasses all global analogues in terms of reliability, technological advancement, and versatility.
"Since 2022, the surface naval drones developed by SBU specialists have evolved from experimental kamikaze models to multi-purpose naval platforms — fast, nearly invisible to the enemy, capable of covering over a thousand kilometers and carrying a combat payload of more than 1,000 kilograms," he stated.
Lukashevych noted that Sea Baby drones now perform a wide range of missions in the Black Sea — from remote mining operations to attacks on military targets and illegally constructed facilities in Crimea.
"As the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, said, thanks to naval drones, the task set by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been accomplished: Russia no longer dominates the waters of the Black Sea," the general added.
Yurii Savchuk, Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, emphasized that it is a great honor for them to receive the legendary SBU Sea Baby drone into the museum’s collection.
"This invention forced Russia to hide most of its warships in the port of Novorossiysk and enabled Ukraine to unblock the grain corridor. I’m confident this exhibit will be extremely popular among visitors. Everyone will want to touch a piece of modern history being made by real heroes," said the Museum Director.
It was with the help of naval drones that the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Crimean Bridge and hit 11 Russian warships.
Notably, in July 2023, it was the Sea Baby drones that destroyed two spans of the Crimean Bridge.
The Security Service continues to improve its own technologies, and the latest versions of Sea Baby are equipped, among other features, with large-caliber machine guns integrated with automatic targeting and ballistic tracking systems — enabling them to engage in combat with Russian aircraft.
