The operation marks the first time in history that fighter jets have been downed by unmanned boats. Initially, reports confirmed the destruction of only one jet, but Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) chief, Kyrylo Budanov, later clarified that two aircraft were hit.
The unprecedented operation allegedly took place on May 2 near the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
Four were injured as Russia's Krasnodar Krai was allegedly targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on May 3, Russian officials claimed.
Negotiations on Black Sea security are underway in Ankara and could shape the region’s post-war stability, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during an April 15 press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa.
The meeting will focus on upholding peace in the Black Sea after a potential ceasefire, sources from Turkey's defense ministry told regional media outlets.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 6 that Russia is refusing to accept an unconditional ceasefire in order to keep launching missile strikes from the Black Sea.
Three weeks ago, Ukraine and the U.S. agreed to implement a full 30-day ceasefire. Russia declined to do so, issuing a list of demands instead. On April 4, Russia hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles and drones, killing 19 people, including nine
The following is the April 1, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. Washington proudly announced on March 25 that it had brokered an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to "eliminate
With much fanfare, the U.S. on March 25 announced it had brokered an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea after two days of talks in Saudi Arabia. But while Kyiv said it was ready to abide by it straight away,
The Moskva sank on April 14, 2022, after being struck by two Ukrainian R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles. The attack marked one of Kyiv’s most significant early victories in the full-scale war and dealt a major blow to Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Kyiv believes that the Black Sea ceasefire applies to civilian shipping and Ukrainian ports, and does not apply to Russian warships, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, some of the sanctions Russia wants lifted "are not ours — they belong to the European Union."
After three days of separate intensive discussions with the United States, Russia and Ukraine left the latest round of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia with agreements to declare a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea and to halt strikes against energy facilities. While lauded by the White House as progress
The White House on March 25 announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea, returning the spotlight to a theater of battle that has been relatively quiet for more than a year. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Ukrainian strikes against Russian ships,
"We see how the Russians have already started to manipulate. They are already trying to distort the agreements and actually deceive our mediators and the whole world," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 25.
The United States is "looking at" lifting additional sanctions on Russia in order to secure a Black Sea ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 25.
While the White House celebrates a ceasefire in the Black Sea after a 12-hour meeting in Riyadh, in Ukraine, the enthusiasm is muted. The agreement is missing crucial securities that Ukraine urgently needs, including protecting its ports from Russian attacks as well as opening up the blockaded Mykolaiv port. The
Key developments on March 25: * Black Sea ceasefire will take effect after some sanctions are lifted, Kremlin claims * Kremlin names energy facilities exempt from strikes during partial ceasefire * Ukrainian airstrike kills up to 30 Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast, military claims * Russia seeks full control of partially occupied Ukrainian regions
"We believe that, after Washington makes two official statements... the ceasefire in the sea and the energy ceasefire must come into effect, in (the Americans') opinion," Zelensky said. "Undoubtedly this depends on orders given by the presidents to their military forces."
The Kremlin said that the Black Sea ceasefire would come into effect after the West lifts the sanctions against Russia's Rosselkhozbank and other financial organizations involved in supporting international food trade operations and restores their connection to the SWIFT messaging system.
Washington vowed to help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is scheduled discuss a possible ceasefire deal in the Black Sea with his Russian counterpart later on March 25, Fox News reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the issue was the focus of the 12-hour Russian-U.S. talks in Riyadh on March 24.
Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are scheduled to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 25, AFP reported, citing a source within the Ukrainian delegation.
"The matter of the Black Sea Initiative and everything related to the initiative's renewal are on the agenda today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be immediately briefed on the results of the consultations.
Romania and Bulgaria are wary of a possible deal between the U.S. and Russia that could restore Moscow's influence in the Black Sea, the Financial Times reported on March 24, citing undisclosed officials from the region.
A Russian ballistic missile struck the Odesa port on the evening of March 1, damaging port infrastructure as well as a foreign civilian ship flying the flag of Panama, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
"If our partners and allies are ready to discuss the possible deployment of these contingents to ensure peace and security in Ukraine... then we think it is quite possible to talk about the safety of the sky," Tykhyi said.
The oil spilled into the Black Sea by two Russian tankers last month could soon reach Ukraine's southern coast in the Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts, Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said on air on Jan. 9.
Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa said that 4,651 vessels arrived in Ukraine, while 4,410 departed for other ports, enabling the export of over 74.4 million tons of cargo, including agricultural products.
The amount of oil spilled in the Kerch Strait by two Russian oil tankers is "significantly less than the initial estimate," Russia's Transport Ministry claimed on Jan. 2.
Two Russian helicopters were downed in a recent strike by the Ukrainian-made Magura V5 naval strike drones, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on its Telegram channel. HUR earlier said on Dec. 31 that only one helicopter had been destroyed.
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