Ukrainian Drones Sink Russian Rosatom Nuclear Ship

Moscow, Kyiv – AFP, Reuters – Ukrainian drones sank a vessel belonging to Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom, which was carrying “civilian goods,” in the Black Sea, the agency announced, noting that there were no casualties, as Kyiv and Moscow escalated their strikes on cargo ships.

Alexey Likhachev, director of Rosatom, said in a statement that the attack, carried out by two Ukrainian military drones, hit the ship Yelena 130 miles from Novorossiysk. “It was a standard container ship sailing in international waters and carrying civilian goods.”

He added that “the crew evacuated the ship in an organized and coordinated manner after it began to sink. All 17 crew members were rescued and are in good health.”

Meanwhile, Russia launched a new nighttime ballistic missile attack on Kyiv and its surroundings, killing at least 10 people, while US President Donald Trump remains hesitant to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air defense systems needed to counter such strikes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted in a post on X that “this shortage of ballistic interceptor missiles encourages Russia to launch more attacks that claim civilian lives.”

Among the damaged buildings was the Lithuanian embassy, whose foreign minister posted images showing a cracked door and a damaged lighting fixture.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from fires caused by the strikes.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the “highly precise” strikes on Kyiv and its surroundings targeted “companies in Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and logistical centers.”