Ukrainian forces have sunk the Russian-flagged container ship FESCO Yanina in the Black Sea, according to statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
Rosatom said the vessel was struck by two Ukrainian naval drones overnight on 1 August while sailing approximately 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk. These details have not been independently verified.
FESCO Yanina, IMO 9301304, was operated by Russian logistics company FESCO, which has been controlled by Rosatom since 2023. The 2005-built vessel had a capacity of 962 TEU and a deadweight of 13,007 tonnes.
According to Rosatom, the ship began to sink following the attack, forcing its 17 crew members to abandon the vessel. All crew members were reportedly rescued.
Rosatom claimed that FESCO Yanina was sailing in international waters and carrying civilian cargo, including frozen food and construction materials. There was no immediate indication that the ship was transporting nuclear material or conducting activities connected to Rosatom’s nuclear operations.
“Such an attack cannot be interpreted as anything other than piracy and robbery at sea,” said Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.
Zelenskyy confirmed the strike and described FESCO Yanina as a sanctioned Russian vessel. Publicly available sanctions information indicates that FESCO is subject to international sanctions, although it is unclear whether the vessel itself has been separately designated.
Zelenskyy said the ship was among the facilities supporting Russia’s war effort.
“Thanks to the precision of our Defense Forces, it was sent to the bottom,” said Zelenskyy.
Following the incident, FESCO said the group continued to operate normally and fulfil its obligations to customers. The company added that the safety of navigation and its crews, as well as the interests of its customers and partners, remained its priorities.
Ukraine also targets Russian oil refineries
During the same overnight operation, units of the Security Service of Ukraine struck infrastructure at three oil refineries in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, according to Zelenskyy.
The targets were located nearly 1,600 kilometres from Ukraine and process millions of tonnes of oil annually, he said. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Zelenskyy said the attacks formed part of Ukraine’s long-range campaign against facilities that sustain Russia’s military operations.
Grateful to Ukrainian warriors who are bringing the war back to Russia and responding to its attacks against life. Our targets are consistently defined facilities that sustain the war effort.
Middle strikes were carried out overnight, with successful hits in the Black Sea and… pic.twitter.com/B4q8HMVl0j
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 1, 2026
