Direct proof of use
Grad-armed Sea Baby drones were documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War in May 2024, when UNITED24 said Sea Baby boats of the Security Service of Ukraine had been fitted with Grad systems and used with the Navy against Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit.
The same operational use was reported by Reuters-carried maritime press coverage from an unnamed Ukrainian source, by The Kyiv Independent from an SBU source, and by NV from sources inside the SBU. Reuters and The Kyiv Independent both reported the claim while noting that they could not independently verify the modified-weapon use or associated video.
Sources: UNITED24 Sea Baby Drones, MarineLink Reuters Sea Baby Rocket Launchers, Kyiv Independent Grad-Equipped Sea Baby, NV Sea Baby Grad Source
Timeline
On 22 May 2024, UNITED24 published that Sea Baby boats were now equipped with Grad systems and were active in combat operations, citing a test against Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit the night before last. NV reported the same day that modified Sea Babies struck Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit on the night of 21 May.
On 23 May 2024, Ukrainska Pravda reported SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk's confirmation that Sea Baby drones had been equipped with Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. Maliuk said the SBU first used a Sea Baby fitted with a Grad MLRS in December 2023.
Sources: UNITED24 Sea Baby Drones, NV Sea Baby Grad Source, Ukrainska Pravda Maliuk Confirmation
Narrative
The Grad-armed configuration changed the Sea Baby from a one-way explosive maritime attack drone into a reusable or mission-configurable surface platform able to launch rockets from the water toward shore targets. The documented May 2024 use was described as an attack on Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, a coastal area in Mykolaiv Oblast occupied by Russian forces after the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Public reporting does not establish a complete order of battle for the Grad-armed boats, the exact number used at Kinburn, or a verified damage assessment. The supported record is narrower: Ukrainian SBU-linked Sea Baby drones were fitted with Grad launchers, were reported used against Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit in May 2024, and Maliuk attributed an earlier first use of a Grad-equipped Sea Baby to December 2023.
Sources: MarineLink Reuters Sea Baby Rocket Launchers, Kyiv Independent Grad-Equipped Sea Baby, Ukrainska Pravda Maliuk Confirmation
