Ukraine Presents Magura Naval Drone with AIM-9 Missiles

Ukraine has presented its Magura-7 naval drone equipped with American-made AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

The image, first published by Naval News, shows the drone outfitted with two AIM-9M air-to-air missiles, the same model used by Ukrainian forces to down a Russian Su-30 multirole fighter jet.

The drone reportedly underwent sea trials when the photo was taken, as indicated by safety plugs on the missiles’ infrared seeker heads.

The AIM-9M missiles in the photo bear brown bands, denoting that they are live munitions with high-explosive fragmentation warheads. The drone appears to use optical targeting systems, allowing it to detect and ambush Russian aircraft without active radar emissions.

While the Magura-7 retains much of the design of the earlier Magura-5 model, it features a modified nose section, likely due to the lack of a warhead compartment in this version.

Ukraine is currently known to operate two variants of the Sidewinder: the AIM-9M, a 1980s-era upgrade, and the AIM-9X, a more advanced version introduced in the 2000s.

The AIM-9 has a proven track record in aerial combat, and the downing of the Russian aircraft has added to its operational credentials. When launched from sea or land platforms, the AIM-9M has an effective range of up to 10 kilometers.

Due to a standardized mounting system, the Magura drone could potentially be fitted with the AIM-9X variant, which offers longer range, enhanced countermeasure resistance, and in-flight targeting correction.

The combat debut of the Magura-7 with AIM-9 missiles happened on May 2, 2025. Group 13, a special unit of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and other defense forces, shot down the Su-30 fighter jet over the Black Sea. Before that, Ukraine’s defense forces used modified sea drones equipped with Soviet-era R-73 infrared missiles to down two Russian Mi-8 helicopters.