Ukrainian Navy Sinks Russian Ship *Izumrud* Near Novorossiysk in Ongoing Strikes, As Noted by Volodymyr Zelensky
The Ukrainian Navy confirmed that a Russian border guard vessel, the *Izumrud*, was struck and sunk near Novorossiysk. The incident occurred after the Ukrainian Navy used a Sargan-3000 sea drone to target the vessel, resulting in casualties among the crew, according to reports cited by Volodymyr Zelensky. The *Izumrud*, commissioned in 2014, was a second-rank patrol ship previously involved in the 2018 Kerch Strait confrontation. These strikes are part of a broader Ukrainian campaign against Russian assets in the Black Sea. Reports also detail multiple strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, including major refineries in Krasnodar Krai. In separate updates, a U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that civilian casualties in June reached high levels. This data highlighted that long-range missiles and drones remained the primary cause of civilian harm, underscoring the continuing impact of the conflict across multiple oblasts.