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Ukraine’s armed forces have delivered a significant hit to the Russian Black Sea fleet by critically damaging the Caesar Kunikov landing ship off the coast of occupied Crimea.

The attack, executed with naval drones on Wednesday, is part of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to challenge Russia’s naval presence in the region. According to Ukraine’s military, this operation was a coordinated effort with the defense ministry’s intelligence, targeting the ship within Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka.

The strike coincided with the visit of Kyiv’s new military chief to the front lines, amid reports from Ukrainian media showing visuals of smoke rising over the sea and helicopters patrolling the area. This attack adds to a series of Ukrainian attacks aimed at Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, marking a push to reclaim control over key maritime routes and disrupt Russian naval operations. Previous months have seen Ukraine successfully employing sea drones and cruise missiles to target Russian vessels.

In response to the attack, Russia conducted missile strikes on the town of Selydove in Donetsk, resulting in civilian casualties and substantial damage to infrastructure, including a hospital.