SSU Drones Hit Russian Navy Cable Ships Volga and Vyatka as Well as Ferry Petropavlovsk in Kerch

Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) drones struck three Russian vessels overnight on June 26 at the Zaliv Shipbuilding Yard in temporarily occupied Kerch, according to the SSU.

The targets were the Project 15310 cable-laying ships Volga and Vyatka, which are being built for the Russian Navy, and the passenger and cargo ferry Petropavlovsk.

The SSU said the operation is part of a 40-day campaign targeting Russia that was approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky the previous day.

According to the agency, the drone strikes sparked major fires aboard all three vessels. At the time of the attack, the Petropavlovsk ferry’s load was 96%.

The SSU said Volga and Vyatka are designed to deploy the Garmoniya underwater acoustic surveillance system, which Russia uses for undersea military reconnaissance.

In addition, they can deploy influence (non-contact) naval mines designed to target ships, underwater pipelines, cables, and other critical infrastructure.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, each of these vessels is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Militarnyi previously reported about a fire detected by NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring system on the grounds of the Zaliv Shipbuilding Yard in Kerch.

During the night, local residents reported a series of explosions and gunfire. A strong smell of smoke was also noticeable in various parts of the city.

Eyewitnesses posted reports about the activity of Russian air defense systems.

The Zaliv Shipbuilding Yard is one of the largest shipbuilding enterprises in occupied Crimea.

Since the beginning of the Russian occupation, it has been heavily involved in the implementation of the Russian military programs.