The Russian Navy has destroyed 23 Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea over the past seven days, according to a statement from the Moscow-based Defense Ministry on Friday. The ministry shared a video showing unmanned boats being targeted by gunfire and Lancet loitering munitions.
Ukrainian forces deployed autonomous surface vehicles alongside drones during a major attack on coastal cities Novorossiysk and Tuapse in Russia’s Krasnodar Region on Wednesday, the statement said. The assault left two people dead in Novorossiysk and 14 injured across both cities.
The threat posed by Ukrainian maritime drones led to the evacuation of tourists from 180 beaches in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.