Ukraine launches drone and missile strike on Russian naval base nearly 200 miles from the front line

Ukrainian drones and missiles overnight hit air defense positions, piers and seaport infrastructure at a Russian naval base, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.

He said Kyiv carried out a “unique operation” on Novorossiysk, a major Russian port on the Black Sea more than 180 miles from the front line. It is home to much of the Russian fleet that had been based in occupied Crimea.

“Our Palianytsia jet-powered drones, Neptune missiles and unmanned naval systems successfully struck the designated targets,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted on X. “The occupation fleet and all the infrastructure supporting it will not be safe as long as Russian aggression continues.”

Moscow said its air defense forces shot down several hundred drones during the attack on Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. But it made no mention of the military targets that Kyiv said it struck.

“The Ukrainian army targeted civilian facilities and residential buildings,” TASS, the official Russian news agency, reported. “The strikes resulted in casualties, including children. Moreover, water supplies have been cut off in Novorossiysk.”

Last month, Ukraine agreed to suspend drone strikes on oil tankers using the port at the request of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Kyiv said it wouldn’t target non-Russian vessels, as long as they weren’t under sanctions or carrying Russian oil or cargo, according to the Financial Times.