Russian warship hit in Ukrainian naval drone attack, Ukrainian officials say

A major Russian sea port, Novorossiysk, faced an attack by Ukrainian sea drones Friday.

Ukrainian officials said the strike, carried out by their navy, damaged a Russian naval ship. Maritime traffic at the port paused for a few hours due to the Ukrainian strike. 

“Kyiv showed that it can attack any vessel of the Black Sea Fleet, no matter the distance,” Ukrainian military analyst Roman Svytan said on the attack.

The Black Sea port contains a Russian naval base among other important industrial functions like an oil terminal. It is also a critical port for Russian exports.

The attack also comes after Moscow terminated a wartime grain deal between the two countries that allowed Ukraine to export the staple out of its southern ports. It is also the first time during the war a Russian commercial port experienced an attack. 

The Associated Press contributed.