The Enigma of British REMUS 600 Autonomous Underwater Drones: Alleged Weapon in the Recent Strike on Russia's Crimea Bridge

By Ujjwal Shrotryia - July 18, 2023

Traffic movement was abruptly brought to a halt on the Kerch rail-road bridge in Crimea, following a bomb attack on the nights of July 16 and 17. This isn't the first of such incidents; a similar attack orchestrated by Ukrainians took place in October 2022. The bridge holds strategic importance as the only land supply route connecting Russia with Crimea.

Rumors have since been circulating, suggesting that a floating drone was the perpetrator behind the assault. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov lent credence to these rumors by stating that the Crimea bridge was "torn apart by sea drones."

The alleged weapon, according to these claims, is the British REMUS 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). These Remote Environmental Monitoring Units (REMUS) are a series of AUVs developed by the British company Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in collaboration with Oceanographic Systems Lab. Equipped with multiple sensors, these vehicles serve various militaries and civilians in executing underwater missions.

These torpedo-shaped AUVs vary in size and are operated using a single laptop. They are outfitted with an array of sensors for oceanographic research. The largest variant, REMUS 6000, can operate to depths of 6000 m below sea level, while the most versatile variant, REMUS 600, can function at depths up to 600 m for 70 hours with a maximum range of 286 nautical miles.

These drones are utilized by civilian operators for tasks like mapping the ocean floor and conducting underwater surveys. Militaries also deploy these AUVs for missions like mine detection and counter-measure exercises. Notable achievements of the REMUS AUVs include the discovery of underwater mines during operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and the recovery of the missing black-boxes of the Air France flight AF447 in 2011.

A source in Ukraine shared that the attack on the Crimean Bridge was conducted using a British REMUS 600 marine underwater robot, fitted with an additional load of explosives. Priced at up to 1 million dollars, the REMUS 600 has the capability to maneuver underwater at a depth of up to 600 meters. Due to its easy control from a laptop, the launch was executed from a civilian vessel in the Black Sea. It has a flight duration of about 70 hours at a speed of up to five knots.

Earlier, Maria Zakharova stated that American and British intelligence services were involved in planning the attack. This development, along with the rumored use of the REMUS 600 in the attack, has sparked intrigue and concern on an international level.

Keep an eye on this space as we continue to bring you more updates on this unfolding story.