Ukrainian drones have sunk a cargo vessel operated by Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom in the Black Sea, in a strike confirmed by both Kyiv and Moscow that marks a significant escalation of the maritime dimension of the war.
The container ship Yanina, carrying civilian goods, was struck by at least two Ukrainian drones approximately 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk while navigating international waters, Rosatom director Alexei Likhachev said. All 17 crew members were rescued and are in good health, the agency said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the vessel was attacked and had sunk.
In a separate overnight operation, Ukraine also struck three Russian oil refineries in the republic of Bashkortostan, Zelenskyy said, extending Kyiv's campaign against Russian energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.