Ukrainian Drones Hit Patrol Vessel, Cargo Ship and Port Infrastructure
Ukraine's drone forces continue to take a heavy toll on the Russian Black Sea fleet, and are reaching further and further into protected regions of the Russian hinterland. The ease with which Ukrainian UAVs operate over Russia suggests that air defenses are faltering, multiple Russian and Western analysts conclude - indicating increased prospects for further deep strike and "middle strike" operations.
The latest round of attacks hit a Russian Border Guard Project 10410-class patrol vessel, a Be-200 amphibious aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter, at least four level-luffing cargo cranes at the port of Berdyansk, a naval communications tower in Crimea, and a cargo vessel at Berdyansk, which Ukraine claimed was carrying ammunition. The aircraft strikes are noteworthy: the Be-200 is relatively rare, and its original engines are no longer available. It was staged at Yeysk, on the Sea of Azov, and could be used for maritime counter-drone patrols - an essential part of Russia's effort to tamp down Ukrainian maritime drone boat attacks in the Black Sea.
The Svetlyak-class patrol ship hit over the weekend was located in the Caspian, about 800 nautical miles to the east of Ukrainian shores. Video footage of the strike shows that the Border Guard ship attempted to defend itself with its rear-mounted AK-630 close-in weapons system as the drone approached from astern; the outcome is uncertain. The Svetlyak-class fast patrol boat has no long-range weaponry, and is a common sight on Russia's coastlines: 50 were built and nearly three dozen remain in service around the Russian Federation.
Separately, far to the northwest, Ukraine's drone forces hit a variety of targets in and around Moscow - the best-defended region in Russia. Bystander videos show Ukrainian drones flying overhead without challenge, followed by apparent strikes on fuel tanks and a refining complex.
"These are our entirely justified responses to what the Russians are doing. We will continue to increase both the range and scale of these sanctions," said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a statement.
Russian Drones Strike Three Commercial Ships Including Chinese Bulker
Ukrainian officials are reporting that three commercial ships inbound for the ports near Odesa were struck on Monday. Although there was only minor damage, Ukraine quickly latched on to the reports highlighting that one of the vessels was Chinese-owned and crewed just hours before the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Ukrainian Navy released a photo showing the black spot from a scorch mark on the accommodation block of the vessel KSL Deyang. The 53,451-dwt bulker registered in the Marshall Islands was inbound toward Odesa. Reuters reported it was heading to the port to load a cargo of iron ore concentrate.
The vessel, which is owned and managed by a Chinese company in Nanjing, was struck by a single drone. They are reporting that there were no injuries to the crew and that the crew was able to extinguish a fire. The ship has minor damage and was continuing on its voyage.
“The Russians could not have failed to know which vessel was at sea,” asserted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on social media. Putin is arriving in Beijing just four days after Donald Trump’s visit. Ukraine asserts that Russia is importing more than 90 percent of sanctioned technology from China.
The strike on the vessel was part of the current ongoing barrage by Russia on various parts of Ukraine. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor for Odesa, reported that two other vessels were also struck without supplying the names of the ships. He reported one was registered in Guinea-Bissau and later posted that another vessel registered in Panama was also struck. He said the third ship was traveling along the Ukrainian Corridor to the entrance to the port of Chornomorsk and said both ships reported small fires that the crews were able to extinguish.
Ukraine reported that more than 30 people were injured across the country and a small number killed after Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles overnight into sections of Ukraine. Ukraine’s air force claimed to have downed most of the 546 drones and four of the 22 missiles launched at the country. Zelensky said there were 524 strike drones and 22 missiles of various types—ballistic and cruise—in this attack.
Russian officials countered, reporting that they had downed most of the over 3,100 drones Ukraine had launched in the past week.
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