Ukraine launches second sea drone attack in 24 hours as Russia confirms one of its tankers was damaged in the Black Sea near occupied Crimea.
Russian officials said the vessel’s engine room was damaged in the attack that happened overnight in the Kerch Strait.
Writing on Telegram, an official said there were no casualties among the 11 crew members, although a Moscow-appointed official in Ukraine’s partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region said several crew members were wounded by broken glass.
An official with Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed to The Associated Press that the service was behind the attack on the tanker, which was transporting fuel for Russian forces.
A sea drone, filled with 450 kilograms of TNT, was used for the attack, added the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to give official statements.
Ukraine special operations
Without specifying that Ukraine was responsible for the drone strike, Vasyl Malyuk, who leads Ukraine’s Security Service, said that “such special operations are conducted in the territorial waters of Ukraine and are completely legal.”
Any such explosions, he said, are “an absolutely logical and effective step with regard to the enemy.”
The incident, the second sea attack involving drones in one day, briefly halted traffic on the Kerch Bridge, the 19km link between Russia and annexed Crimea, as well as ferry transport.
In other developments, Russian officials said Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited a combat zone in Ukraine to inspect a command post and meet senior military officers.
They said he was updated on the situation on the front and thanked commanders and soldiers for what they called “successful offensive operations” in Lyman in eastern Ukraine.