Russia’s Port of Novorossiysk was hit by drone attacks operated by Ukraine over the past weekend, again highlighting the threat posed to supply chain security by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Ukrainian military intelligence reported a strike sometime on May 2 or 3, using a Magura naval drone equipped with a missile.
The strike is significant in that it destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet mid-air in a historic first for UAVs.
It’s been widely reported that the drone attack caused extensive damage in Novorossiysk.
Local Russian officials declared a state of emergency after the strike.
The attack damaged a grain terminal and several residential buildings, injuring at least five people, including two children.
One woman was reported to be in a critical condition.
The damage to residential buildings included shattered windows, debris and balconies hanging precariously off their structures.
Apart from damaging the grain terminal at the port, debris from downed drones also damaged three storage tanks and caused a fire, which was later extinguished.
Several residential apartment buildings in Novorossiysk sustained damage from falling drone debris parts.
The attack was part of a broader Ukrainian campaign using advanced naval drones to target Russian military assets and infrastructure along the Black Sea coast.
Russian air defences have reportedly intercepted many drones, but some strikes have succeeded in causing damage and casualties.
