Ukraine said on Sunday it struck several Russian vessels, including a cruise missile carrier and three oil tankers, as both sides exchanged massive drone attacks that killed at least eight people.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces targeted a missile-equipped ship at the port of Primorsk in Russia’s Leningrad region, as well as “shadow fleet” tankers used to transport sanctioned oil.
He warned that Kiev would intensify strikes on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow continued its offensive.
“Russia can end its war at any moment. Prolonging the war will only expand the scale of our defensive operations,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian officials confirmed a fire at the Primorsk port following the attack, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.
Hundreds of drones launched in escalation
The strikes come amid a dramatic surge in drone warfare, with both sides launching hundreds in a single day.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 268 drones and one ballistic missile overnight, while Moscow claimed Kyiv launched 334 drones toward Russian territory.
Casualties were reported on both sides. In Ukraine, four people were killed in attacks across Odessa, Kherson, and Dnipro, where an apartment building was heavily damaged. In Russia and Russian-controlled areas, four others were killed, including a teenager.
The war, now in its fourth year, has seen daily aerial assaults intensify as peace talks remain stalled. Kiev says its strikes on Russian territory are retaliation for relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Moscow denies targeting civilians.
