Crimea Video Shows Kyiv Strikes on Russian Black Sea Fleet

Ukraine's military intelligence has said it launched drone strikes on several Russian landing craft and one of Moscow's TOR-M2 advanced air defense systems in Crimea, as confusion reigns over the status of a U.S.-brokered pause to fighting in the Black Sea.

Why It Matters

While most of its global naval forces remain unscathed, more than three years of full-scale war with Ukraine has put huge dents in Moscow's Black Sea Fleet, which was mostly based out of Crimea.

The Kremlin annexed Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine has vowed to reclaim it. Moscow's grip on the Black Sea peninsula is not internationally recognized.

Dogged Ukrainian strikes have forced Russia to relocate high-value assets like warships and submarines further east in the Black Sea, and to look toward pro-Russian Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, for a new foothold in the Black Sea.

What To Know

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence said on Tuesday that its special forces had attacked at least one Russian high-speed BK-16 amphibious landing craft, designed for military operations in coastal areas, and a Raptor-class patrol boat.

Also, Ukrainian drones "evaded" Russian air defense missiles before striking one of Moscow's TOR-M2 advanced air defense systems in Crimea, the spy agency said in a statement.

Russian forces have used Moscow's TOR family of short-to medium-range missile systems to take down air targets and precision-guided munitions. The surface-to-air system comes in several variations, with the TOR-M2 being an upgrade of the TOR-M1.

It is not clear exactly when the footage published by the GUR was filmed. Crimea's Russian-backed governor, Sergey Aksyonov, did not reference any reported attacks on the peninsula in the days around the GUR's statement.

Newsweek could not independently verify the footage, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a full, month-long ceasefire during high level meetings in Saudi Arabia three weeks ago, but Russia refused to consent to the terms despite President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff has led U.S. outreach to Russia.

Later in March, the White House said it had agreed in separate deals with Kyiv and Moscow to protect safe passage in the Black Sea, stop attacks and to prevent commercial vessels being used for military ends.

The Kremlin said the Black Sea truce would only come into effect once the U.S. had lifted sanctions on its fertilizers and agricultural trade while expanding access to ports and payment systems.

Russia and Ukraine have also accused one another of breaking a U.S.-brokered moratorium on striking energy infrastructure.

Progress on further ceasefire agreements has been elusive, with Trump administration officials reportedly growing increasingly irritated with Russia's negotiators.

Trump told NBC in an interview on Sunday he was "very angry" and "pissed off" with the Kremlin over attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy "because that's not going in the right location." Russia has throughout the war attempted to paint Kyiv and Zelensky's presidency as illegitimate.

Trump himself has called Zelensky a "dictator," a label he refused to pin on Putin when asked by reporters. Trump also said over the weekend he would consider tariffs on Russian oil exports.

He said later on Sunday he had known Putin "for a long time," and the two leaders had "always gotten along well."

In late March, Trump told Newsmax that Russia could be "dragging their feet" on a full ceasefire although he qualified his remarks by saying he believed Moscow "wants to see an end" to the war. Zelensky has blamed Russia for the slow progress of talks, a sentiment echoed by his European backers.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump was "frustrated with leaders on both sides."

What People Are Saying

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said in a statement that its operatives "continue to terrify occupants in Crimea."

What Happens Next

Grigory Karasin, a Russian lawmaker who is part of Moscow's negotiating team, told state media last week that ceasefire talks could continue into next year.