Ukrainian security circles have confirmed an attack on the Russian tanker “SIG”. Accordingly, the ship was attacked by drone near the Crimean bridge. According to Russian information, there was no major damage.
According to its own statements, Ukraine is responsible for the night-time attack on a Russian tanker near the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait. A spokesman for the Ukrainian security service confirmed to the AP news agency that the tanker “SiG” was the target of a drone attack.
Accordingly, a sea drone equipped with 450 kilograms of explosives is said to have been used for the attack late Friday evening, the news agency quoted the unnamed source as saying. The head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasyl Malyuk, did not clearly identify himself as responsible for the attack. However, he emphasized that “such special operations are carried out in the territorial waters of Ukraine and are absolutely legal”. He also described attacks of this type as an “absolutely logical and effective step towards the enemy”.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
According to Russia, no serious damage was caused
First, the Russian Sea and River Transport Agency announced the attack on the Telegram tanker. Several media had previously reported explosions near the Crimean Bridge.
According to the authorities, a hole was torn in the wall of the ship by the attack in the area of the engine room and at waterline level. The tanker is still floating, however, and the water that has penetrated is being pumped out. As a precaution, an oil barrier had been erected around the ship.
Shaded: territories occupied by Russia
Several crew members injured
Several crew members of the tanker were injured by broken glass as a result of the attack, said Vladimir Rogov, the Kremlin’s administrator in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia.
Traffic over the Crimean Bridge had to be stopped for several hours, but is now running again. An alleged Russian radio message to the ships in the Kerch Strait was published on the Internet. It calls on all ships to be more vigilant in the event of an attack by air and sea drones.
Department of Defense in Kyiv warned several times
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has previously warned that from July 21, 2023, all ships calling at Black Sea ports of the Russian Federation and Ukrainian ports temporarily occupied by Russia will be considered military targets by Ukraine.
Only on Friday did Ukraine say it carried out a drone attack on the Novorossiysk base in southern Russia. According to Ukraine, the Russian naval ship “Olenegorski Gornjak” was severely damaged. On the other hand, the Russian side said the attack had been repelled.
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian naval ships and also the bridge to the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea. The country has been defending itself against Russian war of aggression for more than 17 months.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.