Two Russian ships, the tanker Yaz and the suspected arms runner Ursa Major, are headed to Istanbul where they will leave the Black Sea. Evidence suggests that, at the same time as the cruise missile attack on Sevastopol, they were targeted by Ukrainian maritime drones.

The first indications of the attack, shared with Naval News, came before 3am local time on September 13. By morning imagery of fierce fires in Sevastopol were coming in, and it soon emerged that two Russian Navy vessels were hit. The cruise missile attack on Sevastopol got world attention. A Russian Navy landing ship and a submarine were damaged, possibly destroyed.

Taking these vessels out of the fight is a significant success for Ukraine. But there is a lot which has been going less reported. Ukraine also attempted to thwart Russia’s vital weapons and military fuel supplies which flow in and out of the Black Sea.

Simultaneously with the cruise missile strike there was an attack by Ukrainian USVs (maritime drones). It is likely that the USVs (uncrewed surface vessels) were targeting key Russian ships sailing across the Black Sea.