Ukrainian Drones Sink Russian Cargo Ship Yanina in Black Sea

Ukrainian drones sank the Russian-owned container ship Yanina in the Black Sea early Saturday, August 1, 2026. The vessel, operated by FESCO, a subsidiary of the state-owned nuclear operator Rosatom, was carrying civilian goods including frozen food and construction materials near the Russian port of Novorossiysk. All 17 crew members were rescued after abandoning the ship in an organized manner.

Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev condemned the strike, characterizing the attack as "piracy and robbery at sea."

These maritime clashes follow a series of Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory. The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported that on July 30, Russian forces utilized precision air-launched weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles to target port infrastructure in Odessa. These strikes hit fuel and lubricant tanks, and Russia claimed to have destroyed a cargo ship delivering military equipment south of Odessa.