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Ukraine has launched a major attack on Russia’s Novorossiysk naval base on the Black Sea, damaging at least four Russian warships, according to reports.
Russian authorities said three people, including a child, were killed and 24 others injured in the attack.
Ukraine said the operation, carried out more than 300 kilometres from Kyiv, damaged several Russian warships. The intensity of the attack prompted local authorities to declare a state of emergency in the port city of Novorossiysk. The regional governor also reported casualties.
Russia said it retaliated with strikes in the Black Sea region. Moscow claimed its forces hit a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment at the port of Odesa and destroyed a fuel depot and several pieces of port infrastructure. A shopping mall in Odesa was also reportedly targeted.
The developments prompted a warning from the United States, which urged Ukraine not to attack civilian oil tankers in the Black Sea. Washington also cautioned Kyiv against targeting Novorossiysk’s oil-export infrastructure, citing concerns over stability in global oil prices.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, warned that any seizure of Russian commercial vessels by Western countries would amount to piracy and would face a strong response.