Russia’s Autonomous Sea Drones Are Headed North—with Cargo in Tow

In a bold leap toward maritime automation, Russia is preparing to deploy unmanned sea drones to deliver essential goods to remote northern communities

The pilot program, set to launch in July 2025, will connect the city of Arkhangelsk with its island districts—before expanding to traverse the White Sea, reaching even the far-flung Solovetsky Islands.

Announced by Arkhangelsk Governor Alexander Tsybulsky, the initiative aims to tackle one of Russia’s most persistent logistical challenges: getting supplies to hard-to-reach settlements across vast, icy terrain. These next-gen vessels will operate autonomously, cutting the need for crewed voyages in some of the country’s most inhospitable waters.

But this is more than just a shipping experiment. The region is eyeing full-scale production of the marine drones themselves, promising new jobs, advanced tech manufacturing, and an industrial reboot for the Arctic-facing oblast.

To make it all work, local authorities and tech partners are drafting new regulatory frameworks—potentially introducing an experimental legal regime tailored to unmanned sea transport. If successful, it won’t just be a lifeline for northern communities—it could redefine what it means to deliver where roads and runways can’t.