News Feed

Russia claims naval drone tried to attack Black Sea Fleet ships

2 min read
Russia claims naval drone tried to attack Black Sea Fleet ships
Russian ships stationed in Sevastopol, Russian-occupied Crimea, during the celebration of the Black Sea Fleet Day on May 13, 2023. (Russian Defense Ministry's press service)

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed a Ukrainian naval drone had attempted to attack Russian ships in the Black Sea late on Aug. 17 but was allegedly destroyed.

The vessels were "carrying out navigation control tasks" in the Black Sea's southwestern part, 237 kilometers from Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, the ministry said on Telegram.

Moscow claimed that two Russian patrol ships had destroyed the naval drone before it reached its destination. Kyiv hasn't commented on the incident.

Over the past weeks, a series of explosions took place in the Black Sea.

The Russian landing vessel Olenegorskiy Gornyak was reportedly hit by a naval surface drone on Aug. 4. CNN and several Ukrainian media outlets cited unnamed sources in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), saying the operation was a joint endeavor between the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy.

From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil
On the morning of Aug. 4, the residents of the Russian city of Novorossiysk woke to a 112-meter-long Navy ship being towed back to port after it was hit by a drone attack on the Black Sea overnight. While the Russian Defense Ministry claimed there were no casualties or damage,
Article image

In the early hours of Aug. 5, explosions were also heard near the Crimean Bridge. The Moscow Times reported that the naval drone attack on the Kerch Strait could have potentially damaged the Russian SIG chemical tanker.

Later in the day, the SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk made a statement on the recent surface drone attacks on Russian ships, effectively admitting that Ukraine was behind the attacks. He said such attacks are "absolutely logical" and "completely legal."

On Aug. 15, Ukraine's Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said that Ukrainian forces had already put out of action five large Russian military landing crafts since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in late July that Ukraine would continue to attack targets in Crimea to reduce Russia's fighting capacity and "help save the lives of Ukrainians."

ISW: Crimean bridge attacks cause ‘significant disruptions’ to Russian logistics
Ukrainian strikes against road bridges linking Russian-occupied Crimea to Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast “pose significant disruptions to logistics,” the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its Aug. 6 analysis.
Article image
Avatar
Dinara Khalilova

Reporter

Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.

Read more
News Feed

"It is legitimate and lawful for China to conduct normal economic, trade and energy cooperation with all countries around the world, including Russia," China's Foreign Ministry said in response to question about Russian oil purchases posed by Bloomberg. "We will continue to adopt reasonable energy security measures in accordance with our national interests."

"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that "further details will follow."

Video

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, foreigners flocked to Ukraine to join its defense against Russian forces. More than three years later, the foreign fighters who remain are a different breed — driven by a deep commitment to Ukraine.

Show More