Ukraine drones hit two Russian naval support vessels in Kerch

Drones struck the Volga and the Vyatka, two Project 15310 cable vessels, as well as the Petropavlovsk, a cargo and passenger ferry whose construction was nearing completion.

SBU reported that the Volga and Vyatka were commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Defense to deploy the Harmony hydroacoustic surveillance system – a network designed for underwater military reconnaissance. Beyond intelligence gathering, these specialized vessels are capable of laying proximity mines to disrupt maritime shipping and sabotage undersea pipelines, fiber-optic cables, and other critical infrastructure.

SBU noted that each ship carries a price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The strikes also targeted the radar array and weapons stations of an S-400 air defense complex deployed to safeguard the airspace over the Kerch Strait.

The operation was part of the tactical objectives outlined by the Ukrainian president for a 40-day campaign to exert pressure on Moscow, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on June 25.

A series of explosions could be heard across occupied Crimea overnight amid a large-scale drone attack on Kerch, sparking intensive blazes at the Zaliv Shipbuilding Yard and an adjacent air base.

Russian defense officials claimed that air defenses "destroyed" 660 drones overnight, while media outlets characterized the strike as the largest night drone raid since the start of the war, with the attack also targeting Moscow and the surrounding region.