Ukraine used a British weapon for the Black Sea attack
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian multi-purpose supply vessel NEFRIT in the Black Sea near a Sochi beach resort with a British-made K3 Scout drone boat as part of its Black Sea blockade, according to The Times. Sochi is the city that Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014.
NEFRIT is described by the Navy as “an element of the Russian maritime and energy infrastructure, which provided oil and gas operations, serviced offshore facilities, transported cargo and personnel, and performed underwater technical work.”
The naval device used by Ukraine is made by Kraken Technology, which is based in Foreham, England.
The strike occurred in early September using an unmanned seaboat, according to the Ukrainian Navy, amid rising tensions in the Black Sea, sparking concern about wider conflict in the region.
Putin is seeking escalation to test their support for Ukraine
A string of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels in the Black Sea this month, off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, has some members of the alliance wondering if Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking escalation to test their support for Ukraine in its war against Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
The attacks in the two countries’ exclusive economic zones threaten a global shipping route
The attacks in the two countries’ exclusive economic zones threaten a global shipping route and have left two people dead, with at least 25 still missing. They also run the risk of drawing other countries directly into the war for Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube river ports
Throughout the war, Russia has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube river ports, leaving Kyiv increasingly reliant on alternative routes to get its grain exports to markets in Africa and the Middle East.
Russian drones have repeatedly violated Romanian airspace near some of Ukraine’s Danube ports.
President Zelenskyy meets with Prime Minister Burnham
In the latest incidents, fires broke out on two ships struck by drones Wednesday and Thursday, one in Romania’s territorial waters.
