Russian authorities have reported that a Russian tanker carrying 11 crew members suffered damage in an attack within the Black Sea, allegedly carried out by Ukrainian forces.
The incident, which occurred in the Kerch Strait, resulted in damage to the vessel’s engine room during an overnight strike. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew.
While Ukraine has not made a public statement regarding the incident, a source from the Ukrainian security service informed the BBC that a sea drone was utilized in the attack.
This marks the second consecutive day featuring an assault involving similar weaponry. However, Russia has not confirmed any destruction resulting from the previous day’s attack.
Sea drones, also known as naval drones, are unmanned, compact vessels designed to operate either on or beneath the water’s surface.
The Kerch Strait serves as the link between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, effectively dividing Crimea – a peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014 – and Russia’s Taman peninsula.
Ukraine’s SBU security service revealed that the operation on Saturday was conducted in collaboration with the Ukrainian navy, involving the use of 450kg of TNT explosive. Notably, the targeted tanker was laden with fuel, causing the resulting explosion to be visible from a considerable distance.
As per Russia’s maritime transport agency, the Sig tanker was positioned 17 miles (27km) south of the Crimean Bridge at the time of the attack.
An official from Russia’s regional Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) reported to the state-run Tass news agency that two tugboats had already arrived at the scene of the assault, situated just south of the Kerch Strait.
“The engine room was damaged. Not much, but it was damaged,” the official said.
Russia’s maritime transport agency RosMorRechFlot later said the vessel had a hole “in the area of [the] engine room near the waterline from the starboard side, presumably as a result of an attack by a sea drone”.
“The ship is afloat,” it added.
Reports from Russian state-run media indicate that the Crimean Bridge’s lights, located to the north, were deactivated and traffic was halted due to warnings of an impending attack.
On Friday, Ukrainian security sources informed the BBC that a Ukrainian naval drone had executed a substantial strike on a Russian naval vessel near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Allegedly, footage emerged depicting the drone hitting the Olenegorsky Gornyak large landing ship. Another video, yet to be verified, displayed a prominently tilting vessel being towed to port.
In contrast, Russia’s defense ministry asserted that it had successfully thwarted a Ukrainian attack on its naval base in Novorossiysk, involving two sea drones, without acknowledging any resulting damage.
Situated southeast of the Kerch Strait, Novorossiysk stands as a significant conduit for Russian exports.
Recent weeks have witnessed escalated clashes at sea, coinciding with Russia’s abandonment of a pivotal UN agreement that ensured secure grain exports across the Black Sea.
Russian drones and missiles have targeted Ukrainian ports, prompting Kyiv to issue threats of retaliation.
In a distinct development, Saudi Arabia is scheduled to convene talks aimed at resolving the Ukrainian conflict later on Saturday. Invitations have been dispatched to approximately 30 nations, excluding Russia, for the meeting to be held in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.