Special operations conducted in Ukraine’s territorial waters “completely legal” - SBU chief

The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, says special operations carried out in the territorial waters of Ukraine are totally legitimate.

Maliuk emphasized this while commenting on the recent attacks by sea surface drones on Russian ships in the Black Sea, Ukrinform reports, referring to the SBU press service.

"Any blasts that occur, affecting the Russian ships or the Crimea bridge are an absolutely logical and effective step in relation to the enemy. Moreover, such special operations are carried out in the territorial waters of Ukraine, therefore being completely legal," said Maliuk.

According to the SBU chief, if the Russians want the blasts to stop, they should go for the only option, which is to withdraw from Ukraine’s territorial waters and land.

"And the sooner they do it, the better it will be for them. Because we will 100 percent defeat the enemy in this war," said Maliuk.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in Novorossiysk Bay, a surface drone damaged the Russian Navy’s large landing assault ship Olenegorsky Gornyak, on which there were nearly 100 crew members at the time of the strike.

In the Kerch Strait, as a result of an attack by naval drones, the U.S.-sanctioned Russian tanker SIG, known for transporting aviation jet fuel from Russia to Syria and which was anchored in the area after arriving from Türkiye, is also believed to have been damaged.