Ukraine hits key Russia-Iran logistics hub in Caspian Sea, damages three Russian warships

On September 10, 2026, Ukraine's forces targeted Russia's Makhachkala port in the Caspian Sea, causing damage to three Russian warships located in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the attack on the Makhachkala Sea Commercial Port, noting a recorded fire at the site. The extent of the damage is currently being evaluated.

The port, Russia's sole ice-free deepwater port on the Caspian Sea, is a crucial link in the Russia-Iran logistics corridor, used for transporting military cargo and Shahed-type attack drones from Iran to Russia, as well as explosives, drone components, and ammunition from Russia to Iran. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces and other Defense Forces conducted the joint operation against the oil infrastructure at the port.

The General Staff also reported damage to three Russian warships - the small sea minesweeper Zheleznyakov, the frigate Admiral Essen, and the Project 11711 landing ship Pyotr Morgunov - in Novorossiysk on September 9, along with fuel-oil storage facilities at the port. Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point stated that their FP-1 drones were utilized in the attack.