Toloka drone already has a target number one_ Russian submarines in the Black Sea

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One of the main advantages of the Ukrainian underwater drone "Toloka" is that it can hit Russian submarines in the Black Sea.
Andriy Ryzhenko, a retired captain of the 1st rank and former deputy chief of staff of the Ukrainian Navy, told UNIAN in an interview.
"We currently have no real countermeasures against submarines... This drone can deliver a small torpedo. Currently, we have such torpedoes made in Sweden. They are anti-submarine, weighing several hundred kilograms - just within the payload... To destroy a submarine underwater, a contact explosion with a power of 40-50 kg is needed. This can damage the submarine's hull so much that it can be destroyed," Ryzhenko explained. He added that a larger version of this drone, which has a payload of up to 5 tons, can ensure operations against critical enemy military infrastructure. “Such drones can be used for sabotage operations against critical enemy military infrastructure, such as the Crimean bridge or enemy bases in Sevastopol or Novorossiysk. Because the naval drones that we have are not very well adapted for this,” Ryzhenko added. As for the simplest modifications of the drones, Ryzhenko believes that they can be used for mine clearance at sea. At the same time, they can be loaded with explosives and used for strikes. “If these payloads weighing 20-50 kg are filled with explosives, it can damage a ship, such as an amphibious ship or frigate. But it is unlikely to lead to its destruction. However, the damage can be very serious. This is useful, for example, if there is a threat of enemy landing. They can approach enemy forces under water and attack them. This will stop the movement of forces, which will allow them to be finished off with other weapons,” Ryzhenko explained.
Currently, there is little information about this drone in the public domain. It is only known that it has three models, each of which has different dimensions and payload weight. The length of the drone ranges from 2.5 to 12 meters. The largest model can cover 2,000 kilometers and carry a 5-ton payload. “Toloka” has been talked about for a long time. And, indeed, the idea itself is quite good. But we have not seen anything in practice.

At the moment, we can say that such an underwater drone is really needed. Because it overcomes the most critical vulnerability of our existing naval drones — the ability to be detected while moving on the surface.

This is the greatest vulnerability for our naval drones, since the enemy has now built a network of radar stations along the coast. They use small boats like the "Rooster" or the "Raptor" that detect and destroy our naval drones. They also deploy aircraft and UAVs that can also do this visually. If the drone is underwater, the chances of it being detected are significantly reduced.