Ukraine hits Russian Black Sea naval base in 'unique' overnight attack
Ukraine launched a combined drone and missile attack on Russia's Novorossiysk naval base, damaging infrastructure and killing one child, officials said.
Ukrainian forces carried out a coordinated overnight strike on Russia's Black Sea naval base at Novorossiysk, using anti-ship missiles, jet-powered drones, and sea drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday. He described the operation as "unique" and said it targeted air defenses, piers, and port infrastructure in the Krasnodar region city.
Novorossiysk is a major hub for Russia's Black Sea fleet and also hosts a key oil terminal. The attack comes as Ukraine has repeatedly used uncrewed vessels and drones to challenge Russian naval dominance in the Black Sea, a campaign Kyiv says has limited the movements of Russia's once-formidable fleet.
Russian officials reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone assault across the region. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said hundreds of drones were launched at Novorossiysk, Anapa, Gelendzhik, and the Temryuk district. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down more than 500 Ukrainian drones.
Kondratyev confirmed that an eight-year-old child was killed in Novorossiysk, and a wounded man later died in hospital. Twelve other people were injured. Debris from intercepted drones fell on four industrial sites and 21 residential buildings, though no details of damage were provided.
The attack also affected nearby areas. In Sevastopol, on the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, Russian-appointed officials said 115 drones were downed, with damage reported to 10 apartment blocks and 25 private houses.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 138 long-range strike drones and an unspecified number of missiles overnight, causing damage at 16 locations across the country. In the southern Kherson region, a Russian drone attack killed two people and wounded two others, according to regional authorities. A shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia was also destroyed.
Zelenskyy also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning another mass mobilization of several hundred thousand troops by the end of the year, citing Ukrainian intelligence.