Russia continues to maintain a ship armed with Kalibr cruise missiles in the Black Sea, posing a continuing threat of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the morning of 26 April 2025.
According to Ukrainian military sources, as of 06:00 local time, one enemy ship equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles remains stationed in the Black Sea. This vessel has the capability to launch a salvo of up to six missiles. In addition, Russian naval forces maintain a dangerous presence in the Mediterranean Sea, where four enemy ships are currently deployed. Two of these vessels are cruise missile carriers, with the potential to launch up to twelve Kalibr missiles.
The Navy also confirmed that no enemy ships are present in the Sea of Azov at this time. However, monitoring of maritime activity revealed that, over the past day, three vessels passed through the Kerch Strait into the Black Sea, one of which continued towards the Bosporus Strait. Two vessels entered the Sea of Azov, one of which originated from the Bosporus.
Russia’s actions continue to violate the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974 (SOLAS) by disabling automatic identification systems on military and civilian vessels. This further escalates security risks in the region.
In related developments, the head of the Centre for Counteracting Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, Andriy Kovalenko, revealed that Russia has been deliberately using inaccurate ballistic missiles, including North Korean KN23 missiles, against civilian targets in Ukraine. Kovalenko stated that this constitutes a deliberate war crime, aimed directly at terrorising the civilian population.
