How Ukraine's demining robots could help U.S. open the Strait of Hormuz

World How Ukraine's demining robots could help U.S. open the Strait of Hormuz By Aidan Stretch Aidan Stretch Reporter Aidan Stretch is a CBS News reporter based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Read Full Bio Aidan Stretch April 29, 2026 / 4:53 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google KYIV, Ukraine — The TLK-150 is 8 feet long, weighs roughly 50 pounds and glides just below the surface of the Black Sea mapping out the minefields that lay below. Once it dips underwater, its rotors can churn for over 1,200 miles before needing a recharge. The sea drone, manufactured by the Ukrainian defense company Toloka, has sailed hundreds of missions off Ukraine's coast, searching for the mines laid underwater during Russia's invasion. Now, its services may be needed in a different commercial waterway.The Strait of Hormuz has remained almost entirely closed to ship traffic since Iran dropped mines across it in March. Until the explosives are cleared, the 20% of the world's energy that normally passes through the strait could remain at a standstill. This process could take months, experts say, as the U.S. does not possess the necessary homegrown tools to open the strait. "The U.S. Navy has been neglecting the mine countermeasures mission for more than 20 years. It's a mission that gets very little attention, very little respect," said Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at Rand Corporation, who previously advised the U.S. Navy's mine warfare command. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy shared this photo of a demining drone. Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Telegram The Pentagon told CBS News: "U.S. forces are addressing the risk of mines using manned and unmanned capabilities to ensure passage through the strait is safe." Ukraine, on the other hand, has more recent experience in demining operations than any other country. Since 2022, Russia has dropped thousands of mines across the Black Sea, presaging Iran's Hormuz blockade by using underwater explosives to deter vessels from docking in Uk...