Ukraine war latest: Drones attack Russia's Black Sea Fleet; Russian pipelines explode in country's Far East, HUR says
Key developments on July 5-6:
- Drones reportedly attack Russia's Black Sea fleet
- Pipelines supplying Russian military explode in Russia's Far East, HUR source says
- Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft
- Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says
- Ukraine's army chief warns of new Russian offensives in northeast as he visits Kharkiv Oblast front
Drones attacked Russia's Black Sea Fleet at the port of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai overnight on July 6, the Russian media outlet Astra reported.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the reported strikes, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
An air alert was sounded in the city for several hours, and air defense was active. The consequences of the attack are still being determined, according to Astra.
The media outlet also published footage purportedly showing a burning maritime drone that was allegedly shot down during the attack.
Krasnodar Krai is located east of Crimea, with the Kerch Strait separating them at their closest point.
Ukraine regularly strikes military targets within Russia as Moscow continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
Pipelines supplying Russian military explode in Russia's Far East, HUR source says
Explosions in Russia's Vladivostok damaged a gas pipeline and destroyed a water pipeline that supplied military facilities in the area, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on July 5.
A fire followed the explosions and destroyed sections of the Vladivostok gas pipeline along the Sea of Japan, the source said.
The blasts occurred early on July 5, between 1-2 a.m., with Russian special services and repair teams arriving shortly after.
The damaged pipeline provides gas to several Russian military facilities on the coast of the Sea of Japan, including the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Armed Forces, the source told the Kyiv Independent.
The water pipeline destroyed in the explosion provided drinking water to military garrisons in the area.
"In order to hide information from the local population... local special services turned off mobile Internet and communications in the area," the source added.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft
Ukraine targeted the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on July 5, damaging a warehouse with guided bombs, aircraft, and other military assets, Ukraine's General Staff reported.
The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets thatRussia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the military. The strike may have destroyed a training and combat aircraft, with further assessments underway.
The NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected a fire near the Borisoglebsk military airfield shortly after the strike. Residents in the area reported 8–10 powerful explosions around 2 a.m. local time, according to Russian independent outlet Astra.
The strike was part of a broader overnight drone campaign across Russia, with explosions and fires reported in at least six regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry said 42 drones were intercepted within a three-hour period, most of them over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, which border Ukraine.
Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko said two drones were downed south of St. Petersburg, prompting a temporary suspension of flights at Pulkovo airport. No casualties or damage were reported.
The governor of Smolensk Oblast in western Russia said anti-aircraft units downed three drones without casualties or damage. The governor of Voronezh Oblast, bordering Ukraine, also confirmed the destruction of several drones.
Explosions were also heard overnight in Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic, where video footage shared online showed a fire reportedly at a local industrial site.
Additionally, explosions were heard during the night in Engels, Saratov Oblast, with some Telegram channels suggesting a military airfield was likely targeted.
The attacks come as Russia escalates aerial assaults on Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to increase long-range drone strikes on Russian military targets.
Ukrainian officials say these drone operations aim to undermine Russia's strike capabilities and bring the war closer to those enabling the Kremlin's campaign.
Ukraine's army chief warns of new Russian offensives in northeast as he visits Kharkiv Oblast front
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said on July 5 that he had visited the front line in Kharkiv Oblast, warning of a growing threat of renewed Russian offensives in northeastern Ukraine.
According to Syrskyi, Russian troops are ramping up attacks in the sector using large numbers of personnel. Over the past week, Ukrainian troops have repelled more than 60 Russian assaults in the area, with "about a dozen battles continuing to rage every day," Syrskyi said.
"Russian forces are trying to overwhelm us with quantity, but we must be vigilant and apply effective tactical and technological solutions to prevent the invaders from advancing," he said in a Telegram post.
Syrskyi said he had reviewed battlefield situation in the area, identifying unit needs, and issuing updated tactical orders.
Syrskyi said he was coordinating closely with Joint Forces Commander Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi.
Kharkiv Oblast, located in northeastern Ukraine, borders Russia and includes the country's second-largest city. It has been a frequent target of Russian assaults and missile attacks since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Since Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in the northeast in the fall of 2022, Russia has occupied less than 5% of Kharkiv Oblast, along the region's eastern edge.
In spring 2024, Russian forces opened a new front in the north of Kharkiv Oblast, near the town of Vovchansk, but were pushed back by Ukrainian troops.
The Ukrainian battlefield monitoring platform DeepState reported on July 4 that Russian forces had advanced up to 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) into Kharkiv Oblast near the border village of Milove, opening yet another front in the northeast.
Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says
Ukraine struck a critical Russian military-industrial site overnight on July 5 that produces components for high-precision weapons used by Moscow to attack Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
The site in question is JSC VNIIR-Progress, a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare (EW) systems, including the Kometa antenna arrays, used to jam satellite, radio, and radar signals.
The institute is located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from the Ukrainian border.
The Kometa antenna is used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and guided aerial bomb modules — all high-precision weapons used by Russia to strike civilian and military targets across Ukraine.
The General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian weapons reached the target area but said final damage assessments were still underway.
The VNIIR-Progress institute has been sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union for its role in supporting Russia's war effort.
The Iskander-K is a precision-guided cruise missile with a range of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles), frequently used by Russia to target civilian areas. Shahed drones have become a central part of Moscow's airstrike tactics since late 2022 due to their low cost and high payload.
Located on the Volga River, Cheboksary is the capital of the Chuvash Republic and lies deep inside Russian territory. Astra and local Russian Telegram channels earlier reported explosions in the city overnight.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down two drones over the region.
This marks the second known Ukrainian drone strike on VNIIR-Progress. On June 9, explosions and fires were also reported at the facility following another drone attack.
Note from the author:
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Tim Zadorozhnyy
