Several unmanned Ukrainian speedboats were detected at around 4am local time while attempting to target Crimea near Sevastopol Bay, but were neutralized by Black Sea Fleet forces, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
“On October 30, at about 4 am Moscow Time, two unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Navy were detected in the Black Sea,” the Russian military said in a statement on Monday morning, adding that Russian Navy vessels conducted “anti-mine and anti-sabotage measures” and “inflicted fire damage” on the sea drones, without providing any further details.
On Sunday morning, several dozen Ukrainian UAVs reportedly attempted to strike Crimea, but were spotted and destroyed over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the peninsula.
Kiev has stepped up rocket and drone attacks on Crimea in recent months. On September 13, Ukraine struck a shipyard in Sevastopol with cruise missiles, damaging two naval vessels, according to the Russian military. Nine days later, a missile struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
Ukraine has also used sea drones to attack Russian port infrastructure in Sevastopol on multiple occasions. Maritime drones have targeted key transport infrastructure such as the Crimean Bridge, which was badly damaged in an attack in July, but was repaired and fully reopened earlier this month.