Ukraine’s Black Sea gamble

A view of a vessel on the Black Sea. A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could spare ports from Russian strikes, but it might also mean relinquishing Ukraine’s strategic advantage at sea. — Brendan Hoffman/The New York Times

THE Ukrainian patrol boat sliced through the Black Sea, its 25mm dual-barrelled machine gun trained on the horizon. Russia’s warships were invisible but omnipresent.

In the command room, Capt Mykhailo, 27, and his crew monitored screens mapping danger: colour-coded zones marked Russian minefields, while red arrows tracked enemy drones.