PTC Web Desk: Tensions in the Black Sea and surrounding waters deepened this week as Russia and Ukraine exchanged fresh naval strikes, marking a sharp escalation in maritime confrontations. According to Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, a Ukrainian Navy vessel came under attack, leaving one crew member dead, several injured, and others missing.
Pletenchuk confirmed that most of the sailors survived and that search operations are ongoing for the missing personnel. However, he did not disclose the ship’s name, the time, or the exact location of the assault.
Russian state media, citing the Defense Ministry, claimed responsibility, saying a Russian naval drone had sunk Ukraine’s medium reconnaissance ship Simferopol in the Danube River estuary. If confirmed, this would mark the first reported instance of Russia destroying a Ukrainian naval vessel with an unmanned surface drone. Military analysts suggested the strike was carried out using a remotely operated boat.
Meanwhile, in what appeared to be a retaliatory strike, Ukrainian military intelligence reported damaging a Russian missile-carrying warship in the Sea of Azov. The vessel, positioned in Temryuk Bay and allegedly prepared for potential Kalibr missile launches, was hit and forced to withdraw from its combat zone, according to Reuters.
Ukraine has earlier inflicted damage on Russian Black Sea Fleet ships, though its own naval losses have been relatively limited throughout the war. Russia, on the other hand, has frequently targeted both Ukrainian and foreign civilian vessels in the Black Sea since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.onflict, War Updates
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