Away from the grueling land battles and devastating airstrikes, the Ukraine war has from its outset had a naval element. Soon after the February 2022 invasion, Russia imposed a de facto naval blockade on Ukraine, only to see its fleet stunningly defeated during a contest for control of the Black Sea.

Russia and Ukraine are firing swarms of drones at each other, and the barrage has been more intense than ever before. No deal has emerged from Washington's talks with both Kyiv and Moscow, as well as Saudi Arabia,

Russia and Ukraine also agreed to "develop measures to implement the agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine," the White House said.