On August 1, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev reported that the container ship Yanina had been struck by two Ukrainian uncrewed vessels about 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The attack happened in international waters.
Zelenskyy confirmed the strike, describing the sinking of the sanctioned Russian-flagged vessel. He noted the Yanina's size, calling it a ship with a capacity of over 100,000 tons.
Russian state media reported the attack occurred late on July 31. Likhachev confirmed all 17 crew members were rescued in an operation involving the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the merchant vessel Delphinus.
Likhachev described the ship as 'an ordinary peaceful container ship' carrying civilian cargo like frozen food and construction materials. He accused Ukraine of 'piracy' and 'maritime robbery.'
The vessel belonged to FESCO, a Russian logistics giant controlled by Rosatom since 2023. Ukraine previously destroyed another Russian logistics boat delivering supplies to occupation forces on the Tendra Spit, part of a strategy to disrupt military logistics in the Black Sea.
