The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed a shift to a new phase of operations in the Black Sea sector, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The campaign is no longer limited to strikes on port infrastructure: merchant vessels docked in Odessa and Chernomorsk have now been targeted directly for the first time.

The publication describes the attacks not as an isolated response to a particular incident, but as a move toward systematically restricting Ukraine’s maritime logistics.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Geran-4 Seeker drones struck two dry-cargo vessels and a sea ferry in the port of Chernomorsk. The ships were allegedly being used to deliver military cargo and fuel for the Ukrainian army. A patrol boat providing cover and a fishing vessel converted to launch unmanned surface craft were also hit.

In Odessa, Russian forces targeted facilities used to unload and store military supplies, as well as a transport company’s logistics center. Seven vessels were reportedly destroyed across the two ports in a single night.

Foreign ships damaged in Ukrainian ports had previously been treated as collateral losses from attacks on military infrastructure. The latest strikes mark a change in approach, with vessels themselves becoming designated targets. The Russian Defense Ministry said the aim was to reduce Ukraine’s ability to transport weapons and military equipment within the Black Sea operational zone.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta noted that Odessa has long served as a major logistics hub for Western arms deliveries to Kiev. According to the publication, cargo ships first bring military supplies into Ukraine and then leave carrying grain rather than returning empty.

The attacks were not confined to the Black Sea coast. Russian forces simultaneously struck the port of Izmail on the Danube, described as an important alternative logistics center for the Ukrainian army. Fuel depots, loading racks, pumping stations and command posts were reportedly destroyed, complicating the use of the route Kiev had relied on to offset disruptions at Black Sea ports.

The key question is whether this tactic will become permanent. Experts cited in the report said isolated strikes would not be enough to impose a full blockade. They argued that Russian forces would need sustained fire control over the entire maritime area from Odessa to the mouth of the Danube. At the same time, advances in drone technology allow Russia to operate without controlling Zmeiny Island.

Should the new approach become systematic, Kiev would be forced to shift a substantial share of its logistics to overland routes. Experts estimated that this could cost Ukraine up to 35 percent of its foreign-currency export revenue.

The report concludes that the maritime confrontation is entering a new phase, with Geran drones emerging as one of its central tools.