Russia announced Wednesday that it had destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones advancing towards its Black Sea port of Novorossiysk overnight.
While Ukrainian naval drones have previously sunk several Russian ships in the Black Sea, strikes reaching as far east as Novorossiysk are rare.
“Two unmanned boats traveling in the direction of Novorossiysk were destroyed in the waters of the Black Sea,” Russia’s Defense Ministry stated in a post on Telegram.
Novorossiysk, a major port city, is located on Russia’s southeastern coast, 100 kilometers east of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The route from Ukrainian-held territory to the port spans at least 500 kilometers through the Black Sea, around the southern tip of Crimea.
After a series of successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian ships in the Black Sea, satellite images revealed that Moscow had moved its Black Sea fleet from its historic base in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, making it harder for Ukraine to target.
The Defense Ministry published footage purportedly showing the destruction of the naval drones. The video displays several bright rounds being fired into the sea at night from multiple directions, hitting the water near a small craft before an explosion and fire occur.
Kyiv has heavily targeted Crimea since Russia launched its full-scale military offensive in February 2022, including multiple attacks and attempted strikes on the Kerch Bridge, a vital road and rail route linking the peninsula to Russia.
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