Ukrainian drones hit Russian cargo ship in Berdiansk port
Photo: Ukrainian drones severely damaged a Russian ship (Getty Images)
Units of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck the Russian cargo ship Leonid Pestrikov while it was in the port of temporarily occupied Berdiansk, according to the 422nd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment.
"An initial strike using a frontstrike-class drone was not enough to take out the target. By decision of the commander of the 17th Army Corps, the 422nd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment LUFTWAFFE was urgently involved, using a Zozulia mid-strike UAV equipped with a 50-kilogram cumulative high-explosive warhead," the statement said.
It was also reported that the Russian vessel sustained significant damage.
What is known about the Leonid Pestrikov
The Leonid Pestrikov is a multipurpose dry cargo vessel designed for both sea and river-sea operations and used by Russia for freight transportation in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Built in 2021, the vessel is 141 meters long, has a deadweight of 8,100 tons, and features two cargo holds.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian cargo ship in Berdiansk port pic.twitter.com/lzdNuyI5La
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) June 1, 2026
In 2023, the ship was subject to US sanctions as part of restrictions targeting vessels linked to Russia's transportation infrastructure. In 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the vessel as part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
The Leonid Pestrikov was used to transport Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied port of Berdiansk and operated voyages from occupied Sevastopol.
The vessel delivered cargo to ports in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries and regularly called at ports in Russia, Türkiye, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
Cases of the ship disabling its AIS (Automatic Identification System) were also recorded, a practice widely regarded as an attempt to conceal its route.
Recently, three tankers belonging to Russia's so-called shadow fleet were attacked near the Turkish coast. The vessels had long been under scrutiny by Ukraine for systematically violating sanctions restrictions.
On June 1, the French Navy boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean.
