Ukraine has announced it successfully struck five ships allegedly carrying stolen grain and military supplies in the Sea of Azov and occupied coastal waters. The Ukrainian drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said the vessels had their names painted over and radars turned off - presumably in an attempt at maritime subtlety - and were involved in "stealing" Ukrainian grain plus transferring military cargo and fuel. Kyiv did not immediately comment on Azerbaijan's claim that two cargo ships, the Natra and Zirkon, were attacked in the Taganrog Bay area, killing five Azerbaijanis, though the ships apparently don't belong to Azerbaijan anyway.
The strikes come as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares for a major economic speech in St Petersburg, and a day after Ukraine's President Zelensky proposed face-to-face talks - an offer the Kremlin confirmed receiving, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov hinting Putin might respond. Putin, for his part, told foreign journalists he's "certainly prepared" to reach an agreement, then immediately questioned whether Zelensky is even a legitimate representative, because nothing says "ready to negotiate" like questioning your counterpart's legal standing.
Meanwhile, Ukraine confirmed one of its naval drones exploded off Romania's coast on Friday near the Constanta port, self-detonating near an oil terminal and causing considerable damage to a ship and warehouses but no casualties. Ukraine blamed Russian electronic interference for knocking the drone off course, while Romanian officials noted this was the second significant security incident this week - the first being a stray mine discovered on a beach near Vama Veche, because apparently Black Sea tourism comes with unexpected extras. This follows a drone hitting a Romanian apartment block in Galati last week, which Romania confirmed was Russian, though Moscow called those accusations "unsubstantiated."
Back in Ukraine, at least 13 people have been killed and over 70 injured in the past day from Russian strikes, including four at a dairy factory outside Kyiv. President Zelensky said food warehouses, a postal building, and a school were among the facilities hit. He called for a full ceasefire during proposed negotiations - something Putin ruled out earlier - and wrote an open letter arguing that waiting for US attention to refocus on Europe's war would be "wrong." The EU, France, and the US have backed the meeting idea, with President Donald Trump telling reporters, "I think it would be great if they met. They should. Get it done," before suggesting both sides make certain compromises - presumably the easy part.