Ukrainian Drone Forces Strike 20 Russian Vessels in the Black Sea, Moscow Retaliates in Odesa

During the night, Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces managed to strike 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea, including 17 oil tankers, commander Robert Brovdy said.

On his Telegram channel, Brovdy added that the targets also included two gas tankers and a tugboat, but provided no specific details about the consequences of the strikes or the exact coordinates of the operation.

For its part, Moscow reported carrying out an overnight operation against Ukrainian ports used for military logistical support. Russian defense authorities claimed that four vessels loaded with supplies for the Ukrainian military were struck in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, in the Odesa region.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the operation was carried out using high-precision aerial bombs and combat drones. The targets hit included port facilities designated for unloading fuel and lubricants, along with oil storage depots.

In a parallel development, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv today, where she announced new initiatives to deepen cooperation between the European and Ukrainian defense industry complexes.

“I am here to present initiatives aimed at bringing together our production capacities in the defense sector, with the goal of increasing the volume and speed of production,” she said on platform X after arriving in the Ukrainian capital.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that Kyiv has received special permission to use part of a 6 billion euro loan from the European Union to purchase Chinese components needed for assembling drones.

According to the article, the move is linked to Ukraine’s urgent need to increase the production of unmanned systems in a conflict that is increasingly relying on drone technology. Reuters said it was not immediately able to verify the report.