Russia claims that the sinking of NATO cargo ships is retaliation for strikes on civilian targets.

Military experts are calling the destruction of two NATO cargo ships near Odessa a sharp retaliation for strikes by Ukrainian forces against civilian sites and people inside Russia. Captain First Rank (reserve) Vasiliy Dandykin told aif.ru that this action was a harsh response to those attacks on Russian soil. He explained that these vessels carried military supplies, possibly including ammunition, drones, and other weapons intended for war zones.

Russian troops regularly find and destroy ships heading to Ukraine with equipment intended to strike back at Russia, he noted. Reports confirmed that the Armed Forces of the RF used drones to sink both cargo carriers south and east of Odessa while they were transporting military property into Ukrainian ports.

The situation has become increasingly tense recently as Ukrainian forces have intensified their attacks on Russian civilian targets. On August 7, a drone struck an apartment building in Kerch. Two people did not survive the blast, and another was left injured. The Ministry of Defense had previously released footage of one such ship being hit by fire.