Russia attacks Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa; Ukraine strikes key Russian ship

Russia launched a drone attack against targets in Odesa, killing at least three people and leaving thousands without electricity after a power substation was struck, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.

One of those killed was a 2-year-old child. At least 16 others were injured in the drone attack, including a pregnant woman and two other children, Mr. Zelenskyy posted on Telegram.

“My sincere condolences to the families and loved one,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted. “Overall, during the night, the Russians launched over 140 strike drones against Ukraine. In some regions, the attacks are still ongoing.”

He said repair crews worked throughout the night to restore electricity in Odesa, Ukraine’s primary maritime seaport on the Black Sea.

“All partners need to work together to strengthen air defense so that the percentage of drone and missile damage can be reduced,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. “Russia is not going to stop.”

As Odesa was being attacked by drones, Ukraine launched a strike on a critical frigate in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The attacks occurred simultaneously at opposite ends of the sea’s northern coast.

Ukrainian military officials confirmed Monday that their forces launched a drone strike on the Russian warship Admiral Grigorovich. It was the first frigate equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, officials in Kyiv said.

The proximity of the two attacks underscores the nature of the maritime conflict in the region between Moscow and Kyiv. While Russia is attacking cities along the Black Sea to destroy infrastructure and disrupt daily life, Ukraine is using long-range drones to strike the Russian navy in its “safe haven” of Novorossiysk. 

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The Admiral Grigorovich is armed with the Russian Shtil-1 defense system to protect the frigate against air attacks.

“The air defense missile launchers were carried out directly from the frigate’s deck, while approaching the target, which did not prevent us from pecking at the [ship],” Maj. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, posted on Telegram.

“The operation was carried out by the [drones] of the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces. It was planned and coordinated by the Security Service of Ukraine,” Maj. Brovdi posted. “The extent of the damage is being assessed by intelligence.”

Since the start of the war, Ukraine has used a combination of maritime and aerial drone forces to sink or critically disable about one-third of the major warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In April 2022, the Russian warship Moskva, the flagship of the fleet, was sunk after being struck by Ukrainian R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles. 

Since then, Ukraine has perfected the art of sinking enemy warships without a navy.  At least three other major Russian naval assets were hit by maritime drone swarms: the Ivanovets, a missile corvette; the landing ship Caesar Kunikov, and the patrol ship Sergei Kotov. It was one of Russia’s newest ships that was designed for modern warfare yet was overwhelmed by an asymmetric drone strike.

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John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Ukraine effectively “won” the Battle of the Black Sea despite having a navy that consists of no more than 50 small patrol boats. By 2023, Kyiv needed to eliminate any chance of a Russian amphibious assault from the Black Sea and open up a maritime export route.

“Ukraine achieved all that, and really, Russia does not have a prospect for reversing that victory,” Mr. Hardis told The Washington Times. 

What the Ukrainian Navy lacks in capital ships like frigates and destroyers, it makes up for with more than 500 uncrewed surface vessels. Military leaders rely on land-based missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles to set up a “no-go zone” in the Black Sea region and sea drones to extend their reach deep into enemy territory, analysts said.

“This is a huge accomplishment, and it was due to a really conservative and effective strategy by working with the special services … and with industry to scale up different [drone] models,” Mr. Hardie said. “But also developing a concept of operations and tactical solutions to deploy them effectively and beat back the Russians.”

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• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.