The US military conducted a strike on a suspected drug vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two men and bringing the total to 30 attacks since September, with at least 107 deaths. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking, justified by claims that each shipment could kill 25,000 Americans, and included a recent undisclosed strike in Venezuela. Donald Trump publicly supported these actions, asserting they targeted drug trafficking infrastructure.
Ongoing attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Houthi Movement and Iran have revealed several key lessons, including the development of modular anti-ship ballistic missiles, low-cost simplified cruise missiles, the use of drones against ships, the limitations of "dark ships," the survivability of merchant ships, the importance of air defense for naval vessels, the limited effectiveness of deterrence, the underestimated Iranian technology, and the unpredictability of future developments in the conflict.
Russia announced that it destroyed a second Ukrainian military boat in the Black Sea, following an earlier attack. Both countries have increased their activity in the area after a UN-brokered deal for safe navigation collapsed. Moscow claims to have thwarted multiple Ukrainian marine drone attacks on its warships, including one on its Black Sea Fleet.
Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, warned that any attack by Russia on foreign civilian vessels departing from Ukrainian ports and sailing through the humanitarian corridor will be considered an attack on the carrier countries. Danilov emphasized that Ukraine adheres to international maritime rules and will continue to send civilian ships carrying food and other non-military goods publicly. He stated that if Russia decides to attack these ships, it will be seen as a direct attack on the countries whose flags they fly, rather than just on Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russia that it may lose its ships if it continues to attack Ukrainian ports. Despite Russia's superior naval power, Ukraine has been retaliating with exploding sea drones, posing a growing threat. Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's right to import and export goods through the Black Sea, which Russia is blockading. Russia's recent attacks on Ukrainian ports and civilian populations have escalated tensions in the region.
