Ukraine Hits Black Sea Fleet in Novorossiysk as Chaos Reported Across Russian Black Sea Regions

Ukraine launched a major attack on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk on Wednesday, Sept. 24, targeting the Black Sea Fleet with unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and drones, Russian officials and media reported.

Krasnodar Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said at least two people were killed and three others injured in strikes on the city center. Local media outlet Shot reported eight casualties, while emergency officials said six people were hospitalized, including one child. Three were reportedly in serious condition.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium said its local office was damaged and two people were injured, though neither was a company employee.

Novorossiysk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko said several apartment buildings and a hotel were damaged. Emergency services are operating under a “state of emergency” mode, searching for possible drone debris.

The attacks began around 5 a.m. local time with USVs striking the port, followed by drone strikes on the city center about three hours later, Russian reports said. The monitoring group Crimean Wind said the naval base was the main target.

Videos posted online showed the moment Ukrainian USVs were destroyed near the shores of Novorossiysk in the Tsemess Bay area.

Footage also showed fires on rooftops of apartment buildings and damage to the Avrora residential complex. Cars were destroyed near the Novorossiysk Hotel, and emergency officials said seven buildings and 20 vehicles were damaged in total.

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During talks in Moscow, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said increased strikes behind the front line and growing risks in the Black Sea are “a serious concern” and urged steps to reduce tensions.

Authorities in Gelendzhik, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Novorossiysk, declared the area unsafe for navigation following the attacks, closing access to the sea.

In Sochi, roughly 120 kilometers (75 miles) farther south, tourists were evacuated from beaches amid warnings of USV attacks, with officials urging, “Everyone leave the water! Evacuate immediately.”

The strike came two weeks after Ukraine’s military intelligence said its forces disabled a $60 million Black Sea Fleet rescue ship near Novorossiysk. The vessel, believed to be the Spasatel Demidov, was reportedly hit with drones that destroyed its electronic reconnaissance equipment.