Ukrainian military forces launched a major overnight coordinated drone and missile strike targeting Novorossiysk, a crucial Russian port city and strategic naval base in the Black Sea region. In Thursday’s (August 13) assault, four Russian warships were damaged alongside severe destruction to two of the country’s primary grain export terminals.
According to Russian local officials, at least three people—including a child—were killed, and 24 others sustained injuries during the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that long-range missiles, advanced jet-powered drones, and sea drones (USVs) were deployed in the precision strike against the naval facility. The Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that their strikes successfully hit four Russian warships, including two modern frigates.
Russia’s withdrawal from Sevastopol in Crimea, Novorossiysk served as the most secure sanctuary for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The overnight attack triggered consecutive explosions that inflicted widespread damage on key municipal infrastructure, leaving the entire city of Novorossiysk facing severe drinking water shortages due to a burst main supply line.
In response, Russian forces unleashed heavy retaliatory airstrikes and missile barrages across Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region over the past two days, resulting in at least 11 Ukrainian civilian fatalities, as confirmed by regional authorities.
