Ukraine sinks Russian border guard ship involved in 2018 Kerch Strait attack

Jul 12, 2026

Ukraine's navy sank the Russian patrol ship Izumrud on July 14, calling it "inevitable revenge" for the vessel's role in the 2018 Kerch Strait attack. The sinking is part of a wider Ukrainian campaign that has struck 116 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov in nine days and hit major oil refineries, disrupting a key route for a quarter of Russia's grain exports and prompting Moscow to accuse Kyiv of "terrorism."

Izumrud patrol ship sinking

▪The Izumrud was sunk by a Ukrainian Sargan-3000 sea drone off the coast near Novorossiysk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.
▪The Izumrud was involved in Russia's attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018.
▪During the 2018 Kerch Strait incident, Russian forces seized two Ukrainian gunboats and a tugboat, capturing 24 Ukrainian sailors.
▪The Ukrainian Navy announced it hit and sank the Russian border guard patrol ship Izumrud on July 14, 2026.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure

▪Ukraine's military stated it struck a total of 116 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov in the nine days leading up to July 14, 2026.
▪A Ukrainian military source stated its forces only strike military targets or those aiding Russia's war effort, not civilian cargoes.
▪Overnight on July 14, 2026, Ukraine also struck two major Russian oil refineries: the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex and the Afipsky refinery.
▪The Sea of Azov is a key shipping route that handles about a quarter of Russia's grain exports.
▪Due to Ukrainian attacks, Russia's Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to reroute grain shipments from the Sea of Azov to alternative routes.
▪Ukrainian drones hit 11 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight into July 14, 2026, including five tankers and five dry cargo ships.
▪Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the Ukrainian attacks on shipping as "terrorism, pure and simple."