Ukraine conducted a "unique" nighttime operation targeting the major Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, striking air defenses, piers, and other port infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday.
The strike, which involved Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, jet-powered aerial drones, and sea drones, targeted what Zelensky described as the "last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea." The city of Novorossiysk is located in Russia's Krasnodar region.
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that hundreds of Ukrainian drones attacked Novorossiysk, Anapa, Gelendzhik, and the Temryuk district overnight. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed more than 500 Ukrainian drones. According to Kondratyev, one child was killed in Novorossiysk and another person died in the Temryuk region. Twelve others were wounded, and debris from downed drones reportedly damaged industrial plants and residential buildings.
Novorossiysk is also a critical hub for oil exports, home to the Grushovaya oil transshipment complex. In February, the U.S. State Department had expressed concern over Ukrainian attacks on Novorossiysk, noting their potential impact on U.S. oil interests in Kazakhstan, particularly via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline that handles crude exports from Kazakh fields with stakes held by U.S. energy companies.
Meanwhile, Russia launched its own series of attacks. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired 138 long-range strike drones and an unspecified number of missiles at Ukraine overnight, causing damage at 16 locations across the country. In the southern Kherson region, a large-scale Russian drone attack killed two people and wounded two others, according to regional head Oleksandr Prokudin. Ukrainian authorities also stated that a shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia was destroyed in the Russian attacks.
Ukrainian officials have noted that the country's fleet of uncrewed vessels has been successful in limiting the movement of Russia's Black Sea navy, representing one of Ukraine's significant wartime achievements. Despite Russia's slow battlefield progress and U.S. diplomatic efforts, Ukrainian officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue the war. Zelensky cited Ukrainian intelligence reports suggesting Putin plans "an additional rapid mobilization of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year."