Ukrainian drones struck 13 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the past 48 hours, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi said on Wednesday.

The Russian defence ministry said its forces also attacked Ukrainian ports and military infrastructure in the Odessa region on Wednesday.

Moscow said two naval vessels had been hit as a result of the strikes, as well as port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo and fuel and lubricant storage tanks.

It comes as outgoing Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Kiev has recaptured 700 square km of its territory this year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday sacked his Soviet-trained army chief Oleksandr Syrsky following a political crisis triggered by the removal of a popular, young and tech-savvy defence minister.

The Ukrainian leader announced he was appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty in his place.

Syrsky, 60, had served in the role since 2024 and was among Ukraine’s most experienced commanders, having led the defence of Kiev at the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022.

His removal came after days of protests in support of ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who accused Syrsky of forcing him out and stalling his attempt to reform the military.

In other developments, another attack on the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, injured several people, said the head and co-founder of the company Tatyana Kim on Wednesday.

A previous strike by Ukrainian drones on Saturday killed eight workers, sparked fires and disrupted operations at Wildberries.

"There are no words to describe all the feelings and emotions caused by the attacks on ordinary people, on our employees, on all of us who are simply doing our jobs," Kim said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.