War

Ukraine claims 'successful' strike on 2 Russian ships ferrying weapons, equipment through Kerch Strait

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Ukraine claims 'successful' strike on 2 Russian ships ferrying weapons, equipment through Kerch Strait
Ukraine attacked two Russian vessels transporting weapons and military equipment through the Kerch Strait on March 14, 2026. (Ukraine's military intelligence agency / Telegram)

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on March 14 that it had "successfully" struck two Russian vessels transporting weapons and military equipment through the Kerch Strait.

The agency described both ships as a "key part" of Russia's Kerch ferry service, used to supply ammunition and equipment to Russian forces fighting against Ukraine.

"As a result of the operation, the enemy's railway ferry 'Slavianin' was put out of action, and the vessel 'Avangard' was damaged," the statement reads.

The Kerch Strait — a 35-kilometer (21-mile) waterway linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov — separates the Kerch Peninsula in Russian-occupied Crimea from Russia's Taman Peninsula and serves as a key logistics corridor for Moscow.

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Ukraine attacked two Russian vessels transporting weapons and military equipment through the Kerch Strait on March 14, 2026. (Ukraine's military intelligence agency / Telegram)

As part of the same operation, Ukrainian intelligence units, working alongside other military formations, struck infrastructure at the Port Kavkaz in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.

HUR said Russia has been using the port to sustain military operations against Ukraine.

The facility, located on the Chushka Spit, is one of Russia's largest passenger ports and supports the ferry connection with occupied Crimea.

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the strike, reporting damage to port infrastructure.

Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses "intercepted and destroyed" 87 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022 as a reporter for a local television channel. He later spent a year and a half at the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, first as a news anchor and later as a managing editor. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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