Toloka unveils underwater drones capable of striking the Crimean Bridge

At the Defense Tech Valley 2025 investment summit in Lviv, Toloka unveiled its line of underwater drones, including the massive TOLOKA-1000. Militarnyi published an interview with the company’s representative, and Defender Media highlights the key points.

The TOLOKA-1000 underwater drone is a diesel-electric autonomous vehicle with a composite hull. The drone can dive to depths of up to 1,000 metres, has a diameter of 1.5 metres, and can carry up to 5 tonnes of payload. It is equipped with a battery and electric motors and can operate for up to three months, recharging via a diesel generator.

The drone is intended for monitoring, reconnaissance, observation, and strike missions. Its range is up to 3,000 km, with a speed of 5 to 15 knots. On-board equipment is currently undergoing testing, followed by sea trials. If results are positive, the drone will enter serial production, possibly by the end of this year. According to the company representative, such drones could theoretically be used to strike the illegal Crimean Bridge in the Kerch Strait.

The company is preparing to serially produce smaller models, TOLOKA-400 and TOLOKA-200.

The TOLOKA-400 has a range of 1,200 km, a payload capacity of over 500 kg, and a petrol engine. Its hull may be composite or metal. The metal version can dive to depths of up to 30 metres. The drone is capable of conducting search operations or acting as a kamikaze drone.

The TOLOKA-200 is a small drone with a range of 200 km, a payload capacity of 20 kg, and speeds exceeding 15 knots. It is equipped with inertial navigation, radio communication, internet connectivity, and a radar for guidance via radio-frequency emissions. It can carry out mine-laying, reconnaissance, mine detection, kamikaze attacks, and operate at shallow depths.

All models can operate autonomously or in groups, connected via IP protocol, and “communicate” with each other through acoustic modems or radio links. Above water, they are controlled via satellite communication; underwater, they navigate using inertial guidance.

The drones are equipped with artificial intelligence for ship recognition based on acoustic signatures. Production relies on imported engines, electronics, sonar, gyroscopes, navigation systems, and hydrophones. The models are capable of scanning the seabed and surface and performing mapping operations.

It is also worth noting that the Toloka was first presented in April 2023 and was developed with the support of the state cluster Brave1.