Ukraine strikes Russian port of Novorossiysk

Ukraine carried out a significant drone strike on the Russian Black Sea coast, resulting in casualties and damage to key infrastructure, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev. The attack, which took place overnight, targeted the port city of Novorossiysk, killing at least three people, including an 8-year-old child, and injuring 24 others. The damage was extensive, with 60 residential buildings destroyed in Novorossiysk alone and additional harm reported in Gelendzhik, Temryuk, and Anapa.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strikes, stating that drones, cruise missiles, and maritime drones were used. He highlighted that the operation targeted the naval base in Novorossiysk, which he deemed the "last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea." The city's naval port, commercial port, and oil loading terminal were reportedly hit, as confirmed by reports from Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels and the US space agency NASA's FIRMS fire detection system, which detected fires at these locations.

Additionally, a grain terminal was damaged, but no staff members were injured. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that 502 Ukrainian combat drones were intercepted overnight, a substantial number compared to previous attacks.