Russia said on Monday that its forces had shot down nearly 700 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported attacking a Russian warship at a port of the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in its latest report that over the past day, Russian forces struck 159 locations, including production facilities for operational-tactical missile control systems and related components used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, energy infrastructure, storage and assembly sites for fixed-wing drones, and temporary deployment sites for foreign mercenaries.
The Russian air defense forces brought down 693 fixed-wing drones from Ukraine, the ministry said.
Additionally, units of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels and one Neptune long-range guided missile in the northeastern waters of the Black Sea, the ministry said.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 120 combat engagements took place at the front lines over the past day.
The Ukrainian forces launched strikes against targets including Russian troops and equipment assembly areas and drone control points, the Ukrainian side said.
According to a report from the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces on Monday, Ukrainian forces launched an attack on the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Monday, striking the frigate Admiral Grigorovich.
The report also said that the Russian vessel fired air defense missiles to intercept the attack but failed to stop the Ukrainian drones.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry also reported on Monday that from Sunday night to Monday morning, Ukraine deployed fixed-wing attack drones to strike maritime transshipment facilities at Novorossiysk Port in an attempt to disrupt global oil and gas markets and cut off the supply of petroleum products to European consumers.
It said that Ukraine deliberately targeted facilities belonging to the international oil transportation company Caspian Pipeline Consortium, causing damage to the pipelines at the unloading terminal and oil loading and unloading terminals, and setting four oil storage tanks ablaze.
The Ukrainian side has not yet responded to this.
Also on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said by sending assistance to Ukraine, Japan is becoming increasingly embroiled in the conflict around Ukraine, thus damaging its relations with Russia.
She said such decisions do not help achieve a swift resolution of the situation around Ukraine but only draw out hostilities. Russia views this step -- clearly taken with the support of official authorities -- as openly hostile and detrimental to the country's security interests, including the protection of civilians.
Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone Corporation on March 31 announced a strategic partnership with Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial systems developer Amazing Drones, as part of a broader long-term strategy to enter the defense equipment market.
Japan's move is "inflicting further damage to its relations with Russia, which have already significantly worsened due to Tokyo's actions," Zakharova said.
As a reminder, weapons posing a threat to Russia and its citizens, as well as the production facilities that manufacture them on Ukrainian territory, are considered legitimate military targets for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, she said.
Russia downs nearly 700 Ukrainian drones, Ukraine attacks Russian warship
