US Army tests Ukrainian Magura naval drones in Philippines exercises, Bloomberg reports

What happened

Bloomberg reports that American special operations forces have tested Ukrainian Magura-class unmanned surface vehicles during military exercises in the Philippines. In the trials, the naval drones successfully hit and sank a decommissioned target vessel.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. These tests mark the first known use of Ukrainian-made Magura naval drones by the US military in the Indo-Pacific region. Bloomberg highlights that the US is exploring unmanned drones as affordable options to counter larger vessels in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with an eye on potential operations defending Taiwan from China.

Interest in the Magura drones stems partially from their reported combat success against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Oleh Rohynskyi, co-founder of the Ukrainian company UFORCE which produces the drones, told Bloomberg that Magura drones have sunk about 10 Russian military vessels since the war escalated last year. Rohynskyi also said UFORCE is in talks with Indo-Pacific countries and considers establishing manufacturing facilities in the region.

Known from the source

• American special operations forces have tested Ukrainian Magura naval drones in exercises in the Philippines.
• The drones were used against a decommissioned target vessel, which was sunk.
• This testing is the first recorded use of Magura naval drones by the US military in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The US military is interested in unmanned surface drones as low-cost counters to large vessels, including for potential defense of Taiwan from China.
• UFORCE is the Ukrainian company producing these drones and is discussing production expansion in the Indo-Pacific.

What remains unclear

UFORCE’s Magura V5 and V7 models were officially revealed by Ukrainian intelligence in May 2025. The V5 drone features swarm operation, target tracking, satellite communications, thermal imaging, and can carry 320 kg of explosives with a speed of up to 90 km/h. The V7 model includes integrated air defense missiles, multi-day endurance, and can operate as a kamikaze drone with a 1,500 km range.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Independent confirmation that US forces used Magura drones in Philippines exercises and the precise results of those exercises. Verification of UFORCE claims about sinking approximately 10 Russian naval vessels with Magura drones. Verification of reports on potential production facility plans in the Indo-Pacific region.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Ukrainska Pravda English. Open the source.