UPDATE - Russia claims fighter jet destroyed Ukrainian reconnaissance boat in Black Sea

ADDS NEW STATEMENT FROM RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY, MINOR EDITS

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia claimed early Tuesday that one of its fighter jets destroyed a Ukrainian reconnaissance boat near its natural gas facilities in the Black Sea.

"Last night, a crew of a Su-30sm aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet's Naval Aviation destroyed an AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) reconnaissance boat near (a) Russian gas platform in the Black Sea," said a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry.

The statement gave no further details.

In a later statement on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said a US-manufactured Willard Sea Force boat carrying a Ukrainian landing group was destroyed by a Russian aircraft in the east of Zmiinyi Island at about 11:00 a.m. Moscow time (0800GMT).

Earlier, Russia also claimed that a drone attack by Ukraine in the country’s Bryansk and Moscow region was foiled.

It claimed that two drones were “detected by air defense systems and suppressed by electronic warfare systems” in both regions, adding that there are no casualties as a result of the attacks.

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on claims, and independent verification of Russia's claim is difficult due to the ongoing war.

Drone strikes inside Russia have dramatically increased in recent months, notably in Moscow and the country's regions bordering Ukraine, with authorities accusing Ukraine of being behind them.

Although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in late July that the attacks on Russian territory are an “inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”