Russian forces carried out strikes on facilities linked to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate on Zmeiny Island in the Black Sea.

According to military-focused channels, the nighttime attack involved Geran drones equipped with cameras that recorded the strikes. The aircraft may have included both remotely controlled versions and variants using elements of artificial intelligence to select targets autonomously. Reports said a fire broke out on the island after the impacts.

The attack was also reported to have damaged a 79K6 Pelikan radar system. The radar is designed to detect aerial targets, determine their coordinates and track them before passing the data to a command system.

Analysts said the Pelikan’s deployment on Zmeiny Island was important because it strengthened monitoring of the airspace on the approaches to the Odessa region.

Russian forces had previously struck Zmeiny Island in March 2026. At that time, a Ukrainian special operations unit was reported destroyed by high-precision UMPB glide bombs. In May, a Lancet drone also struck an unmanned surface vessel near the island.

According to the available reports, Zmeiny Island hosts units of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate rather than regular army formations. Additional Ukrainian special forces are also stationed in Odessa.