Ukraine Continues Attacks on Russia’s Black Sea Patrol Boats

Ukraine in July sank the patrol boat Izumrud used to protect Novorossiysk (Ukrainian Navy)

Published Aug 7, 2026 2:29 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Security Service of Ukraine is reporting that it damaged two more of Russia’s patrol boats used to protect key assets in the Black Sea. It is part of a series of systematic attacks targeting the boats and Russian shipping used to supply Crimea.

The Ukrainian Navy reported that it used long-range drones to attack two patrol boats in the port of Kerch. It said the vessels Balaklava and Kerch were damaged in these latest strikes. The SBU reports it is consistently working to reduce Russia’s strength and that military facilities, fuel and energy complexes, and other targets remain under attack.

Few details were provided on this latest attack, which was announced on August 6. The two vessels are part of the Project 10410 class used for coastal patrols. Reports said these two vessels were being used to protect the Crimean Bridge, a strategic logistics route and high-value military target. Ukraine has attacked the bridge in the past, seeking to interrupt the flow of military equipment, supplies, and fuel into Crimea.

The Project 10410 vessels, known as the Svetlyak class, date to the late 1980s and are approximately 50 meters (161 feet) in length. They are reported to be fast boats with a speed of approximately 30 knots and a crew of up to 28. Russia is believed to have as many as 33 of the vessels still in service, although the number could be less based on Ukraine’s claims of attacks.

 

Balaklava Patrol boat (Alexxx1979 - CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

The most recent attack came as Ukraine reported it also launched drones against one of Russia’s largest fuel refineries. The Slavneft-YANOS refinery is more than 700 km (nearly 440 miles) inside Russia from the border with Ukraine. SBU said four fuel tanks were damaged and were leaking. Two tankers were said to be on fire

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported in July that its forces had struck a record 236 ships. It highlighted that Ukrainian middle-strike drones now control not only land supply routes but sea routes as well, including in the Sea of Azov and around the Kerch Strait. It said the number of strikes at ranges of 50 km and beyond (over 30 miles) rose by 74 percent in July.

Among the strikes last month was the Russian patrol boat Izumrud. It was one of Russia’s newer vessels, having been built in 2014 and used to guard Novorossiysk. Ukraine claimed to have deployed one of its newest generation surface drones, the Sargan-3000, against the 62-meter (203-foot) patrol boat. Ukraine said sailors have been killed and injured in that attack and later released a satellite photo showing the severe damage and the vessel largely submerged at its dock.

Two Shipping Lines Suspend Service to Russia's Black Sea Ports

Damage to the Nadezhda (Turkish social media)

Published Aug 5, 2026 4:18 PM by The Maritime Executive

Facing an onslaught of Ukrainian drone attacks, Russian state shipping company Fesco and Turkish regional operator Kalyon have halted all sailings in the Black Sea, putting a stop to a substantial segment of the logistics network for Russian ports in the region. The suspension of Fesco's services is expected to significantly limit Russia's imports of goods from East Asia through Novorossiysk, forcing these cargoes to move overland by rail from the Far East or to pass through St. Petersburg.  

The announcement follows three recent casualties - the loss of the Fesco container ship Yanina on Saturday, an attack on the boxship LDR Yasar, and a drone strike on the Turkish ro/ro freighter Nadezhda off Novorossiysk. The attack on Nadezhda hit the accommodations block, seriously injuring three crewmembers.

Kalyon said that out of concern for the safety of its seafarers and the risk to their lives, it has temporarily suspended all voyages on Russian routes. Its employees share these concerns, the company said. "Due to the current security conditions, the great majority of ship crews have notified us that they do not wish to continue their duties, and this situation has rendered operational sustainability effectively impossible," explained Kalyon. 

Turkey's foreign ministry has issued a call to both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war to stop targeting merchant ships.

"We are deeply concerned that the war between Russia and Ukraine is spreading further into the Black Sea, also affecting civilian vessels, despite all our warnings. Unless preventive measures are taken, the escalation in the Black Sea will have multifaceted negative repercussions, including for food security," the ministry said in a statement. 

On the Ukrainian side of the Black Sea, merchant shipping has all but come to a halt under steady pressure from Russian drone and missile strikes, which have damaged both vessels and port infrastructure around the Odesa region. The shutdown has significant implications for Ukrainian grain and steel exports, with corresponding effects on GDP and tax revenue needed for the war effort. 

Both sides are feeling the effects of the counter-shipping strikes. Ukraine's persistent attacks on Russian tankers have cut crude oil loadings in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea ports by more than 60 percent, according to BIMCO. CPC loadings of Kazakh oil have also dropped by about 60 percent, the association assesses.