Ukraine Launches Major Drone, Missile Strike on Novorossiysk Port, Grain Export Terminals

Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles carried out a large-scale strike against Russia’s Novorossiysk port, inflicting damage on two primary grain export terminals and striking another major Russian naval base on the Black Sea.

Local officials reported that three people died and 24 others were wounded in the nighttime assault. Among the fatalities was an eight-year-old child.

Unprecedented Naval Operation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the action as a “unique operation” involving Ukrainian missiles, jet aircraft, and maritime drones targeting the Russian naval base. He did not explicitly reference the targeting of grain ports in his remarks.

The Ukrainian military later confirmed that four Russian warships sustained damage, including two frigates.

In a social media post, Zelenskyy stated: “The occupation fleet and all infrastructure supporting it will not be safe for as long as the Russian aggression continues.”

Strategic Shift in Black Sea Operations

Novorossiysk — one of Russia’s largest ports — now hosts the bulk of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, following its withdrawal from its former main base in Sevastopol, located in Russia-occupied Crimea. That earlier base had been highly vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks.

This latest strike follows a marked intensification in reciprocal strikes across the Black Sea this summer, after a period of relative calm.