Ukraine’s Group 13 uses Magura naval drones to hunt russian warships, forcing the enemy fleet to hide where it once felt safe.

Who is behind these attacks? How are decisions made that determine the outcome of an operation? What happens behind the scenes of naval strikes — and what price is paid for such victories?

These questions were answered by “Thirteenth,” the commander of Group 13, in the new GUR project “10 Questions for an Intelligence Officer”.

For Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Day, ArmyInform presents the most interesting takeaways from the interview.

When did naval drones turn from an idea into a weapon?

The unit’s capabilities became apparent during the strike on Ivan Khurs (a russian fleet reconnaissance ship — ed.).

But even when we sank landing boats, it did not feel quite the same. When we sank the Ivanovets missile boat near Lake Donuzlav, the feelings were mixed. On the one hand, it showed that this was an extremely powerful weapon because we simply tore the vessel apart. On the other hand, there was horror at the thought that around 40 people had died within just a few minutes. Even though you understand that they are the enemy, you still realize that these are human lives.

Is it harder to sink a ship or convince others that it is possible?

The hardest part, probably, was not sinking the ship. The hardest part is all the preparation for the mission — that is what is most difficult. There are things that do not depend on me or my team. And what makes it difficult is that missions used to last up to a day, one night. Now they last three days, four, five.

The constant waiting is difficult. You are never completely sure that everything will work out. And this anxiety, so to speak, consumes a lot of energy. Did I believe that we would be able to sink a ship? Of course. Otherwise, why would I be doing this?