Russia Claims Black Sea Ship Strikes and Substation Hits, 600,000 Lose Power

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck three cargo vessels in the Black Sea region overnight into Sunday, claiming all three were hauling military supplies for Ukraine. Two of the ships were container vessels, hit in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, according to the ministry. The third, a dry cargo ship, was struck south-west of Odesa.

Moscow framed the sea strikes as a direct cut into Ukraine's weapons pipeline. The ministry said one container ship was delivering arms and military equipment to Odesa, while the second had dropped off dual-use cargo in Chornomorsk. The dry cargo vessel, it said, was carrying weapons and equipment for Ukraine's armed forces.

On land, the ministry said it hit two power substations in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zhytomyr regions. Both, it claimed, supplied electricity to Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises. Reuters could not independently verify any of the ministry's claims, and Ukraine had no immediate comment.

The impact on civilians quickly showed up in the grid. Ukrainian power company DTEK said the overnight attack on energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk knocked out electricity for more than 600,000 people. "Important energy facilities in the region were damaged in an overnight attack," the company said on Telegram.

The strikes fit a pattern of Russia pairing hits on Ukraine's energy network with targeting of Black Sea shipping traffic, a route central to Ukraine's exports and supply lines. Odesa and Chornomorsk have repeatedly come under fire through the war.

What comes next is unclear. Russia has not said whether the vessels sank or how badly they were damaged, and no independent confirmation of the targets or their cargo has surfaced. Ukraine has yet to respond to the claims.