Russia’s Defense Ministry: Russian ship attacked by Ukrainian naval drone in Black Sea

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine tried to attack a Russian warship escorting civilian maritime transport in the Black Sea with a naval kamikaze drone, TASS, a Russian news agency, reported, citing Russian Defense Ministry spox Igor Konashenkov. According to Konashenkov, a Ukrainian naval drone that attacked the Russian ship in the southwestern part of the Black Sea was destroyed. On 1 August, the Russian Defense Ministry also claimed that Ukraine had allegedly attempted to attack Russian Black Sea Fleet ships 340 kilometers southwest of occupied Sevastopol in Crimea, southern Ukraine.

Maritime security in the Black Sea is an international problem

On 17 July, Russia suspended the Black Sea Grain Deal that provided shipping safety guarantees to civilian vessels heading to and from Ukrainian ports. Russia curtailed the maritime humanitarian corridor in the northwestern part of the Black Sea and restored the regime of a temporarily dangerous area there. Related:

• Russia claimed it repelled Ukrainian attack of marine drones on its ships "controlling navigation" 340 km from Crimea
• Ukraine's intelligence reveals secret Kremlin report on Russia's grain deal disruption
• ISW: Russian naval moves seem aimed at de facto Ukraine port blockade
• Russian grain handout to Africa can't replace Ukraine's disrupted exports - UN chief