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Ukraine said on Sunday it had struck multiple Russian maritime targets, including a cruise missile carrier and three “shadow fleet” oil tankers, as part of an intensifying wave of drone warfare between the two sides.
Local officials reported at least five deaths linked to the latest exchanges, with three people killed in Ukraine, one in Russia, and another in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine.
The strikes come amid a prolonged phase of the war in which both countries have relied heavily on large-scale drone attacks, even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have failed to make progress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Kyiv would escalate its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow continued its invasion. He said extending the war would only broaden Ukraine’s military response.
Zelensky added that Ukrainian forces had targeted a ship capable of carrying cruise missiles at the port of Primorsk in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region.
The Leningrad region’s oil export facilities have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, disrupting shipments worth billions of dollars, according to Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky also said three ageing tankers used by Russia to transport sanctioned oil — often referred to as its “shadow fleet” — had been hit. One vessel was struck near Primorsk, while two others were targeted off the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
He shared night-vision footage showing a naval drone approaching one of the tankers near Novorossiysk.
Russia’s oil and gas sector remains a key source of revenue, particularly as energy prices have been influenced by broader geopolitical tensions, including conflict in the Middle East.
Earlier, the governor of the Leningrad region confirmed a fire at the port following Ukrainian strikes, though officials did not provide details on the extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, a major logistics hub, killed two people, while another fatality was reported in the frontline Kherson region.
Russia fired 268 drones and one ballistic missile in the overnight barrage, Kyiv's air force said.
Ukraine's army launched 334 drones at Russia, Moscow's defence ministry said.
Kyiv's attacks killed a 77-year-old man in the Moscow region, which surrounds the capital, and a 15-year-old boy in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, the local governors said.
Kyiv calls its attacks on Russia fair retaliation for Russia's nightly barrages of its cities.
Tens of thousands have been killed -- the vast majority in Ukraine -- since Russia invaded in February 2022.
In April, Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine -- an average of more than 200 a day -- according to AFP analysis of data from Kyiv's air force.
With inputs from agencies
Local officials reported at least five deaths linked to the latest exchanges, with three people killed in Ukraine, one in Russia, and another in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine.
The strikes come amid a prolonged phase of the war in which both countries have relied heavily on large-scale drone attacks, even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have failed to make progress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Kyiv would escalate its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow continued its invasion. He said extending the war would only broaden Ukraine’s military response.
Zelensky added that Ukrainian forces had targeted a ship capable of carrying cruise missiles at the port of Primorsk in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region.
Oil infrastructure in focus as strikes expand
The Leningrad region’s oil export facilities have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, disrupting shipments worth billions of dollars, according to Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky also said three ageing tankers used by Russia to transport sanctioned oil — often referred to as its “shadow fleet” — had been hit. One vessel was struck near Primorsk, while two others were targeted off the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
He shared night-vision footage showing a naval drone approaching one of the tankers near Novorossiysk.
Russia’s oil and gas sector remains a key source of revenue, particularly as energy prices have been influenced by broader geopolitical tensions, including conflict in the Middle East.
Earlier, the governor of the Leningrad region confirmed a fire at the port following Ukrainian strikes, though officials did not provide details on the extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, a major logistics hub, killed two people, while another fatality was reported in the frontline Kherson region.
Drone barrages escalate across both sides
Russia fired 268 drones and one ballistic missile in the overnight barrage, Kyiv's air force said.
Ukraine's army launched 334 drones at Russia, Moscow's defence ministry said.
Kyiv's attacks killed a 77-year-old man in the Moscow region, which surrounds the capital, and a 15-year-old boy in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, the local governors said.
Kyiv calls its attacks on Russia fair retaliation for Russia's nightly barrages of its cities.
Both sides have denied deliberately targeting civilians, despite mounting casualties.
Tens of thousands have been killed -- the vast majority in Ukraine -- since Russia invaded in February 2022.
In April, Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine -- an average of more than 200 a day -- according to AFP analysis of data from Kyiv's air force.
With inputs from agencies
