In addition to its strike on the Russian port of Novorossiysk, Ukraine is likely involved in the sabotage of Russian commercial shipping well beyond the Black Sea.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian drones carried out a major strike on the Russian Navy, hitting the Black Sea Fleet’s base at Novorossiysk along the southern Black Sea coast. According to reports from Ukrainian sources, a combination of some 200 aerial and maritime drones struck five Russian vessels and other critical energy infrastructure.
Posts on the Telegram messaging app said that the Project 226M minesweeper Valentin Pikul sustained structural damage, with the Project 1124M Albatross-class anti-submarine corvettes Yeysk and Kasimov also sustaining damage on the port side. Two other unspecified vessels were also reportedly in port and took damage in the strikes.
Satellite images showed a “dark spot” on the pier, possibly suggesting a direct impact or fire.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that the Sheskharis oil terminal at Novorossiysk was hit in the strike, along with loading equipment. In addition, an S-400 Triumf air defense system was reported to have been damaged or destroyed.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet had been previously based at occupied Sevastopol, but was relocated to Novorossiysk after the Ukrainian military conducted a string of successful attacks on the port.
Yet even though it is farther from Ukrainian positions, Novorossiysk has fared little better in recent months. A November 2025 attack damaged the Sheskharis oil-loading terminal and a large Russian Navy landing ship. Just a month later, the submarine, a Project 636 Varshavyanka-class (NATO reporting name “Kilo”) diesel-electric attack submarine was hit by an undersea drone while in port, crippling it.
Even though it has no navy of its own, Ukraine has conducted numerous attacks against the Russian Navy. Nearly four years ago, a land-based Neptune anti-ship missile struck and sank the Black Sea Fleet flagship frigate Moskva. It was the largest warship sunk in combat since the UK’s Royal Navy sank the Argentine ARA General Belgrano in the 1982 Falkland Islands War.
Kyiv has continued to strike the Russian Navy and has even gained control of the western Black Sea.
Ukraine Is (Probably) Striking Russian Ships Well Beyond the Black Sea
This week, Moscow also accused Ukraine of attacking and sinking a Russian-flagged tanker in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. The Arctic Metagaz was carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) when it mysteriously exploded and sank on Tuesday, about 150 miles (240 km) from the port city of Sirte.
“All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi,” the Associated Press reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” and warned that it would impact global energy markets. Ukrainian leaders have not commented on the explosion.
“What you’re looking at is not a sunrise—it’s the Russian LNG tanker ARCTIC METAGAZ (IMO 9243148) struck by a massive explosion in the Mediterranean this morning. Photographed by crew aboard a merchant vessel, via Vanguard Tech,” wrote Christiaan Triebert, a visual investigator for The New York Times, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The Arctic Metagaz was suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of energy tankers that have sought to bypass sanctions against Moscow. The destination of the sanctioned vessel, which departed from Murmansk on February 24, was unknown. Still, it was suspected that it may have been heading to Egypt to transit the Suez Canal, something the government in Cairo denies.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
