Emergency services in Yalta urged residents to stay away from the harbor on Friday following a Russian bomb squad defusing a disabled Ukrainian naval drone that washed ashore in Crimea.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Russian region, reported the operation. The regional Emergencies Ministry had previously issued a warning for Yalta residents to avoid harbor areas due to naval drone threats.
It remains unclear whether the unmanned vessel was disabled while attempting to strike the resort city. Available footage shows the drone floating near shore and smoke billowing from the port area.
President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to launch a 40-day “pressure campaign” has seen Ukraine’s military leadership escalate attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, including bomb-carrying speedboat strikes in international waters. The reckless actions of Ukraine’s military forces have also disabled naval drones that pose threats to third nations such as Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
Russia’s retaliation has left Ukraine without Black Sea trade access. However, the escalation reportedly failed to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to increase support for the Ukrainian war effort.
