Ukrainian Drones Hit Patrol Vessel, Cargo Ship and Port Infrastructure
Ukraine's drone forces continue to take a heavy toll on the Russian Black Sea fleet, and are reaching further and further into protected regions of the Russian hinterland. The ease with which Ukrainian UAVs operate over Russia suggests that air defenses are faltering, multiple Russian and Western analysts conclude - indicating increased prospects for further deep strike and "middle strike" operations.
The latest round of attacks hit a Russian Border Guard Project 10410-class patrol vessel, a Be-200 amphibious aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter, at least four level-luffing cargo cranes at the port of Berdyansk, a naval communications tower in Crimea, and a cargo vessel at Berdyansk, which Ukraine claimed was carrying ammunition. The aircraft strikes are noteworthy: the Be-200 is relatively rare, and its original engines are no longer available. It was staged at Yeysk, on the Sea of Azov, and could be used for maritime counter-drone patrols - an essential part of Russia's effort to tamp down Ukrainian maritime drone boat attacks in the Black Sea.
Our long-range sanctions this week. Most of the operations are still ongoing, so the video captures only a portion of our results. Be-200 amphibious aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, a Pantsir-S1 surface?to?air missile and gun system, a Tor… pic.twitter.com/kX3oPCuok8
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) May 16, 2026
The Svetlyak-class patrol ship hit over the weekend was located in the Caspian, about 800 nautical miles to the east of Ukrainian shores. Video footage of the strike shows that the Border Guard ship attempted to defend itself with its rear-mounted AK-630 close-in weapons system as the drone approached from astern; the outcome is uncertain. The Svetlyak-class fast patrol boat has no long-range weaponry, and is a common sight on Russia's coastlines: 50 were built and nearly three dozen remain in service around the Russian Federation.
Separately, far to the northwest, Ukraine's drone forces hit a variety of targets in and around Moscow - the best-defended region in Russia. Bystander videos show Ukrainian drones flying overhead without challenge, followed by apparent strikes on fuel tanks and a refining complex.
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"These are our entirely justified responses to what the Russians are doing. We will continue to increase both the range and scale of these sanctions," said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a statement.
A Ukrainian-made Bars cruise missile flying over Moscow Oblast this morning. pic.twitter.com/Q62ba2niKp
— Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) May 17, 2026
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