A Russian Geran-4 jet-drone targeted the "Sapphire" rescue tugboat at the Odesa/Chornomorsk Port on Sept. 13. This attack coincided with a broader wave of drone and KAB glide-bomb strikes that hit military logistics hubs, drone workshops, and power grids in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. Ukraine's Ministry for Restoration stated the tug bore clear search-and-rescue markings required by international maritime conventions, and Kyiv plans to brief the International Maritime Organization.

The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed it hit 3 logistics centers in Odesa City and a Nova Poshta warehouse in Nerubaivske used for military cargo. Energy targets included the 330 kV "Usatove" substation supplying Odesa Port and the 150 kV "Nova" substation in Mykolaiv. Russia also reported continued strikes against railway infrastructure in western Ukraine used to transport military equipment from European countries.