Russia and Ukraine struck each other’s maritime logistics almost simultaneously: Russian drones attacked two cargo ships near Odessa, and a Ukrainian naval drone hit the Russian supply vessel Nefrit in the port of Sochi.
On September 3, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced strikes on two ships in the Black Sea, which, according to the Russian department, were used to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
One of the targets was a cargo ship, which, according to Moscow, was carrying weapons and ammunition. The second was a container ship believed to be delivering military equipment.
According to Interfax with reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense, one ship was attacked directly in the port, the second – at sea near the coast.
?BREAKING NEWS
The Russian army is launching massive strikes against enemy cargo fleets, ports, and warehouses in the Odessa area.????
▪️Group strikes against sea vessels and port infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue.
▪️ Over the course of… pic.twitter.com/V56Vyl2Xsa— Aleksey The Great??? (@aleksthgrt) September 3, 2026
There is no independent confirmation of the nature of the cargo on either vessel yet. Therefore, the statement about weapons and military equipment should be considered precisely as statement from the Russian side.
Odessa’s logistics were also under attack
At the same time, Russian drones attacked the port infrastructure of the Odessa region and logistics facilities.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the defeat of the Novaya Poshta center, which, according to Moscow, was used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Herself Nova Poshta previously reported that a Russian strike destroyed a key sorting line at its terminal in Odessa. The Ukrainian company calls the facility a civil logistics infrastructure.
Thus, the debate about the nature of such purposes remains the same: the Russian side argues that civilian transport infrastructure is used for military supplies, while Ukraine emphasizes its civilian purpose.
On the same day, Ukraine struck the port of Sochi
Almost simultaneously, the war on maritime logistics continued on the Russian Black Sea coast.
On the morning of September 3, Ukrainian unmanned boats attacked port of Sochi.
The Ukrainian Navy subsequently stated that the target was a Russian multi-purpose support vessel Nefritlocated at the pier.
In the published video, a marine drone moves along the port infrastructure, fire is fired at it, after which a powerful explosion occurs near the ship.
Sochi, 2026-09-03 pic.twitter.com/KQk05Yv0YS
— IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) September 3, 2026
The Ukrainian Navy said Nefrit was used to maintain offshore oil and gas infrastructure, transport cargo and personnel and thereby support the Russian wartime economy.
The defeat of the ship is also reported Deutsche Welle with reference to the Ukrainian Navy.
At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense initially reported the destruction of several Ukrainian unmanned boats in the Black Sea, without confirming damage to the Nefrit.
Naval warfare becomes mutual
The events of September 3 clearly show the trend that Athens News wrote about back in July in the article “Ports, tankers and drones: Russia and Ukraine are trying to cut off each other’s sea supplies”.
Russia systematically attacks Ukrainian ports, warehouses and ships, which it considers part of military logistics. Ukraine responds with attacks on Russian ports, tankers, supply vessels and oil infrastructure.
Previously we also talked about Russian attacks on three merchant ships heading to the ports of Odessa.
The increase in threats has forced Turkey to tighten controls on shipping through the Bosphorus and raised the need for a new agreement on the safety of civilian ships in the Black Sea. “Athens News” wrote about this in the material “Black Sea Truce: Will Turkey be able to stop the war against shipping”.
Editorial comment
The events of September 3 are almost mirror images: Russia declares that it is destroying sea channels for the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine, and Kyiv declares Russian ships and port infrastructure to be part of the economy that supports the war.
As a result, the line between military and civilian shipping is becoming increasingly blurred. A bulk carrier can carry commercial cargo today and military equipment tomorrow, while an oil platform service vessel is both a civilian asset and an element of strategic infrastructure.
The most dangerous trend lies elsewhere: The Black Sea is turning into a full-fledged zone of mutual hunting for maritime logistics. Each new strike creates the basis for the next, and along with military goals, the risks for neutral merchant ships, international crews and all shipping in the region grow.
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