The reported attack on Saturday morning – a day after explosions near military bases in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine and Russia itself – came amid subdued optimism elsewhere as two more grain ships left a Ukrainian port . The shipments, from the port of Chornomorsk, brought the total number that left Ukraine’s Black Sea under a UN-brokered deal to 27. While there was no apparent major damage after the reported unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack in Sevastopol, which has not been independently verified by the Guardian, observers said it demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to strike deep behind Russian lines in prestige goals. Video shared on Twitter appeared to show Russian air defenses attempting to engage the UAV and dark plumes of smoke rising from the city. Mikhail Razvozayev, the governor of Sevastopol, wrote on Telegram that a drone hit the roof of the headquarters on Saturday and said there were no casualties, Russia’s Tass news agency reported. “I am in [Black Sea] fleet headquarters now. A drone hit the roof here 25 minutes ago. Unfortunately, it was not shot down… No casualties,” he wrote. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defense ministry on Saturday said its forces had killed a total of 44,900 Russian personnel – an increase of 200 on the previous day. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. On Friday, the US said for the first time it would provide Ukraine with ScanEagle surveillance drones, mine-resistant vehicles, ammunition and howitzer weapons in a new £655 million aid package to help its efforts to retake Ukrainian territory. “These capabilities are carefully calibrated to make the biggest difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table,” said Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in response to the announcement that it was “another important step to defeat the aggressor”. Wednesday will mark six months of war in the region since Russia invaded Ukraine. While Russia has made gains in the east, it has been put on the defensive elsewhere as Ukraine escalates its offensive on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Last week, a total of nine Russian warplanes were destroyed at an air base in Crimea. Russian leaders have warned that such strikes signal an escalation of the conflict, aided by the US and NATO allies. In its latest intelligence update on the conflict, Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) said last week it had seen “only minimal changes in territorial control along the front line”. In Donbass, he reported that Russian forces have approached the outskirts of Bakhmut, but have not stormed the town. In the southwest, he said neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces had advanced to the front line in occupied Kherson, but added: “Increasingly frequent explosions behind Russian lines likely stress Russian logistics and air base in the south.” While predicting major changes were unlikely next week, the MOD said: “In the coming months the initiative will go to whichever side succeeds in creating a credible, committed force for offensive operations.”
