The UNITED24 Fundraising Platform has started fundraising for a Fleet of Naval Drones. The main task of these drones will be to protect the waters of Ukrainian seas, as well as peaceful cities, from Russian battleships and cruise missiles. The fleet will also help unlock corridors for civilian vessels to transport grain to the rest of the world.
Since February 24, Russian armed forces have launched over 4,500 missiles into Ukraine. Every fifth strike came from the sea. Ukraine has been unable to oppose these aggressions, as the Ukrainian fleet lost 80% of its vessels due to the occupation of Crimea in 2014. But, on October 29, 2022, naval drones attacked Russian ships in Sevastopol. They hit 3 Russian ships, including the flagship of their Black Sea Fleet: “Admiral Makarov.” Russia has lost its once-undeniable advantage on the water.
After these events, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced the start of a fundraising campain to form of a special naval drone fleet: “We will raise funds for the fleet of naval drones. I think absolutely everyone understands what this is and what it is needed for, and I am sure that millions of people will support this direction in our defense. Everyone has already seen how it works. And this is only for the protection of our marine water area, we claim nothing that does not belong to us.”