Ukrainian Naval Drone Strikes Russian Vessel in Sochi Port — First-Ever USV Attack on Putin's Resort City

Ukraine's Naval Forces struck the Nefrit, a Russian-flagged multipurpose support vessel, with an unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the port of Sochi on September 3 — the first known Ukrainian USV attack on the Black Sea resort city Putin frequently visits, roughly 650-700 km from the Ukrainian border. The Nefrit supported Russia's offshore oil and gas operations, cargo and personnel transport, and underwater technical work; Ukrainian officials said the strike targeted 'the enemy's logistics, specialized capabilities and military-economic infrastructure.' Footage circulating on Russian Telegram channels into September 4 also showed a fire at an oil depot near the port and reports of an explosion near a Pantsir air defense system, though Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify the extent of the damage.