Ukraine unveils upgraded sea drone it says can strike anywhere in the Black Sea

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's state security service has unveiled an upgraded sea drone it says can now operate anywhere in the Black Sea, carry heavier weapons and use artificial intelligence for targeting.

Ukraine has used the unmanned naval drones to target Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea. The Security Service of Ukraine, known by its Ukrainian acronym SBU, has credited strikes by the unmanned vessel known as the “ Sea Baby" with forcing a strategic shift in Russia’s naval operations.

The range of the Sea Baby was expanded from 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), SBU said. It can carry up to 2,000 kilograms (about 4,400 pounds) of payload, SBU officials said.

At a demonstration attended by The Associated Press, variants included vessels fitted with a multiple-rocket launcher and another with a stabilized machine-gun turret.

SBU Brig. Gen. Ivan Lukashevych said the new vessels also feature AI-assisted friend-or-foe targeting systems and can launch small aerial attack drones and multilayered self-destruct systems to prevent capture.

Drone strikes have been used in successful attacks against 11 Russian vessels, including frigates and missile carriers, SBU said, prompting the Russian navy to relocate its main base from Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea coast.

“The SBU became the first in the world to pioneer this new kind of naval warfare — and we continue to advance it,” Lukashevych said, adding that the Sea Baby has evolved from a single-use strike craft into a reusable, multipurpose platform that expands Ukraine’s offensive options.

Authorities asked that the time and location of the demonstration not be made public for security reasons.

The craft are operated remotely from a mobile control center inside a van, where operators use a bank of screens and controls.

“Cohesion of the crew members is probably the most important thing. We are constantly working on that,” said one operator who was identified only by his call sign, “Scout," per Ukrainian military protocol.

The SBU also said sea drones helped carry out other high-profile strikes, including repeated attacks on the Crimean Bridge, most recently targeting its underwater supports in a bid to to render it unusable for heavy military transport.

The Sea Baby program is partially funded by public donations through a state-run initiative and is coordinated with Ukraine’s military and political leadership.

The evolution from expendable strike boats to reusable, networked drones marks an important advance in asymmetric naval warfare, Lukashevych said.

“On this new product, we have installed rocket weaponry that will allow us to work from a large distance outside of the attack range of enemy fire. We can use such platforms to carry heavy weaponry,” he said. “Here we can show Ukrainians the most effective use of the money they have donated to us.”

Associated Press journalists Alex Babenko, Yehor Konovalov and Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

A Sea Baby drone rides on the water during a demonstration by Ukraine's Security Service in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine's Security Service brigade general Ivan Lukashevych answers media questions in front of a Sea Baby drone during a demonstration at an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Sea Baby drones ride on the water during a demonstration by Ukraine's Security Service in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine's Security Service officers stand by Sea Baby drones, during a demonstration at an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A Sea Baby drone rides on the water during a demonstration by Ukraine's Security Service in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez strode to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning during his first big league game in a pressure-packed spot against four-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.

The three-run homer that followed capped one of the most powerful MLB regular-season debuts in modern history.

The Venezuelan became just the seventh player since 1900 to hit two homers in his debut, and the second was a go-ahead shot that led the Diamondbacks over the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.

“I returned to my days as a kid — just a dream come true,” a smiling Fernandez said through an interpreter.

In a strange twist, two of the seven two-homer debuts have occurred over the past six days. Cleveland phenom Chase DeLauter went deep twice in his first career regular-season game last Thursday after making his MLB debut in the playoffs last season.

The 22-year-old Fernandez wasn't on the D-backs' opening-day roster, joining the team on Monday after Pavin Smith went on the 10-day injured list with left elbow soreness. He made the most of his first opportunity, finishing with three hits and four RBIs.

Not bad for a guy ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com

“He deserves all this credit,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re so proud of him. He’s a player who came through our system, through our academy, and it’s a great story, a great baseball story. We’ve known about Jose for a long time. We knew he was coming.”

Fernandez hit an infield single in his first big league at-bat and added a solo homer his next time up. The three-run drive that followed put him in elite company, joining DeLauter, Trevor Story (2016), J.P. Arencibia (2010), Mark Quinn (1999), Bert Campaneris (1964) and Bob Nieman (1951) as players with two-homer debuts.

“Stay calm, keep the emotions in check, I knew something like that could happen,” Fernandez said. “Just look for a pitch.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jose Fernandez (11) looks skyward after hitting a home run in his first game during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jose Fernandez, middle, celebrates his second home run with teammates Geraldo Perdomo, left, Alek Thomas, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jose Fernandez gets a gatorade bath after hitting two home runs and four RBI's in his first major league baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)