For a country without a significant navy, Ukraine’s naval and aerial drones have done considerable damage to Russia’s Black Sea fleet, destroying or disabling roughly a third of its ships.

Now, for the first time, the Ukrainians have reached well beyond the Black Sea to launch a drone strike on a Russian cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea. The attack took place in the Caspian Sea port of Olya, targeting the 400-foot-long, 4,900-gross-ton Port Olya-4, which was reported to be transporting Iranian-made drone components and ammunition.

The attack was carried out by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces in coordination with other branches of the armed forces on August 14, according to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the Port Olya-4 sustained severe damage while docked, with some accounts indicating it may have sunk. Maritime security firm Ambrey reported that imagery from the port showed the Russian-flagged ship partially submerged, with scorch marks visible on the bridge and superstructure. The company also said the crew was believed to have been rescued.

TWZ observes that the timing of these latest strikes is notable, coming hours before the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. The two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine. 

The latest attack on Olya was also significant for the apparent targeting of a single vessel, a comparatively rare direct Ukrainian attack on a merchant ship. It appears that Ukraine attacked a particular ship known to be carrying drone parts, making it a very high-priority target and reflecting the reality that, as of now, the Shahed series is by far the most important method by which Russia launches long-range strikes into Ukraine. It had long been expected that Ukraine might start to target vessels running arms deliveries from Iran to Russia, and this has now become a reality. Together with expanded long-range drone technology, we may now see a systemic interdiction campaign against these vessels.