Key facts
- Ukraine conducted an overnight drone attack on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk.
- Russian authorities reported two civilian deaths and at least 12 injuries.
- A child was among those killed, and eight people were injured in Novorossiysk.
- Drone debris damaged four businesses and 21 residential buildings.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the attack, stating the target was the Novorossiysk naval base.
- Ukraine claimed successful strikes on air defense positions, piers, and seaport infrastructure.
Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack targeting a key Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, a port city in the western Krasnodar region. Russian authorities reported that the bombardment resulted in civilian casualties, including a child, and damaged residential buildings and businesses.
Andrei Kravchenko, the mayor of Novorossiysk, stated that one child was killed and eight people were injured in the city, with drone debris damaging four businesses and 21 residential buildings. Krasnodar Krai regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported an additional death and four injuries elsewhere in the region due to the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Kyiv's forces were behind the strike, identifying the target as the naval base in Novorossiysk, which he described as a significant Russian Black Sea Fleet stronghold. Zelenskyy asserted on X that Ukrainian 'Palianytsia' jet-powered drones, Neptune missiles, and unmanned naval systems successfully hit their designated targets, including air defense positions, piers, and seaport infrastructure. He warned that the Russian fleet and its supporting infrastructure would remain vulnerable as long as Russian aggression persists.
Russia's defense ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 502 Ukrainian drones across various regions and the Black Sea during the night. The report follows a pattern of escalating attacks, with Moscow intensifying missile strikes on Ukraine and Kyiv retaliating against Russian targets, including oil refineries and e-commerce facilities.