Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 12, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
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Ukraine's special forces, with local resistance, struck Russian ships in the Caspian Sea carrying military equipment, marking a significant operation.
KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine's special forces said on Friday they had conducted an operation alongside what they described as a local resistance movement to hit two Russian ships transporting weapons and military equipment in the Caspian sea.
They did not specify when the strike took place. A Ukrainian official said on Thursday that Kyiv's drones had hit a Russian oil rig in the Caspian Sea for the first time, disabling the extraction of oil and gas from about 20 wells.
The special forces' statement on Telegram did not say how they had hit the vessels or what the extent of any damage was. They said the ships were hit off the coast of the republic of Kalmykia, a region of Russia.
They named the vessels as the Composer Rakhmaninoff and the Askar-Sarydzha, which they said were sanctioned by the U.S. for carrying military cargoes between Iran and Russia.
The statement said that the "Black Spark" resistance movement had provided detailed information on the movement and cargo of the ships.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Max Hunder; Editing by Alison Williams, William Maclean)
Military equipment refers to the various tools, vehicles, and weapons used by armed forces to conduct operations. This includes items like tanks, aircraft, firearms, and communication devices.
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth, bordered by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. It is significant for its oil and gas reserves.
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously. They are used for various purposes, including military operations, surveillance, and delivery services.
Sanctions are penalties or restrictions imposed by countries or international organizations to influence or punish a nation or entity. They can include trade restrictions, financial penalties, and travel bans.
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