Ukraine says it has struck five ships carrying what it described as illegal cargo in the Sea of Azov and coastal waters controlled by Russian forces.
According to Ukraine’s drone forces commander, the vessels were involved in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo and fuel. The overnight strikes targeted ships operating near the occupied ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, as well as other coastal areas under Russian control.
The commander, Robert Brovdi, said the vessels had their names painted over and their radar systems switched off to avoid detection.
“They were quietly stealing Ukrainian grain and transferring military cargo and fuel,” Brovdi said.
The claims come as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to address a major economic forum in St. Petersburg and just one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for direct talks with the Russian leader to end the war.
The attacks may also be linked to separate reports from Azerbaijan, whose foreign ministry said five Azerbaijani nationals were killed during drone strikes on two cargo ships in the Taganrog Bay area of the Sea of Azov.
In a statement released on Friday, Azerbaijan said the vessels, identified as the Natra and Zirkon, were attacked overnight. The ministry did not name those responsible and noted that the ships were not Azerbaijani-owned.
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out the attacks, while Kyiv has not officially responded to those allegations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine confirmed that one of its naval drones exploded off the coast of Romania on Friday. Authorities reported no injuries or significant damage from the incident.
The latest developments come amid continued fighting across Ukraine. Local officials reported that at least 13 people were killed and more than 70 injured in Russian attacks over the past 24 hours.
Four of the deaths occurred after Russian drones struck a dairy factory near Kyiv, according to regional authorities. Casualties were also reported in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv and Dnipro regions.
President Zelensky said food warehouses, a postal building and a school were among the civilian sites damaged during the strikes.
On Thursday, Zelensky publicly appealed to Putin for a face-to-face meeting, arguing that direct engagement is the only realistic path toward peace.
In an open letter, the Ukrainian leader said it would be wrong to wait for global attention to shift back to the conflict and called for a full ceasefire during any future negotiations.
The Kremlin confirmed receiving the letter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was expected to comment on the proposal.
The European Union, France and the United States have all expressed support for direct talks between the two leaders.
US President Donald Trump also welcomed the proposal, saying he believed both sides should make compromises to help end the conflict.
Speaking in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Putin said he remained willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine but stressed that any settlement would require concessions from both parties.
As military operations continue on land and at sea, international attention is increasingly focused on whether renewed diplomatic efforts can create an opening for peace after more than four years of war.
