Russian chemical tanker hit by Ukraine drones in Kerch Strait

Russian chemical tanker hit by Ukraine |The incident comes a day after Kyiv said that it had struck a Russian landing ship with a sea drone

Introduction

A Russian chemical tanker was hit by Ukrainian drones in the Kerch Strait, a strategic raceway linking the Black Sea and the Ocean of Azov. The attack damaged the tanker’s machine room, but no one was injured.

The incident is the rearmost in a series of attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian vessels in the Black Sea. It comes amid heightened pressures between the two countries, following Russia’s irruption of Ukraine in 2014.

The Kerch Strait is a major shipping route, and the attack on the tanker could have serious counteraccusations for maritime business in the area. It’s also a sign of the growing intensity of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Russian Chemical Tanker Hit by Ukrainian Drone Attack Damages Russian Tanker in Black Sea

According to Russian officials, a Ukrainian strike in the Black Sea struck a Russian tanker with 11 crew members.

According to them, the engine room of the ship was hurt during the nocturnal collision in the Kerch Strait. Nobody was harmed.

The ship was eventually identified as a Sig tanker by Russia’s maritime transport organization. 17 miles (27 km) south of the Crimean Bridge was given as its location.

Ukraine has not made any public remarks. However, a source from the Ukrainian security agency informed the BBC that a marine drone had been deployed.

They claimed that 450kg of TNT explosive was used and that the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Ukrainian navy.

The Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are connected by the Kerch Strait, which divides Russia’s Taman Peninsula from Ukraine’s Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.

Naval drones, sometimes known as sea drones, are tiny, autonomous craft that function above or below the water’s surface. According to BBC Verify’s investigation, Ukraine has used maritime drones to launch multiple strikes, including one on a Russian ship on Friday.

Russian Tanker Damaged in Drone Attack, Traffic on Crimean Bridge Halted

An official from the country’s regional Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was reported by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency as stating that two tugs had already arrived at the location of the attack, which was just south of the Kerch Strait.

“The engine room had been hurt. Although not much, it was harmed, the official declared.

Following the incident, RosMorRechFlot, a Russian marine transport agency, reported that the ship had a hole “in the area of [the] engine room near the waterline from the starboard side, probably as a result of an attack by a sea drone.”

It continued, “The ship is afloat.”

Additionally, the Crimean Bridge’s lights were shut off and all traffic was stopped due to indications of an impending attack, according to state-run Russian media.

It would be the most recent drone assault in the region if the attack is confirmed.

Ukrainian Drone Strike Damages Russian Navy Ship in Black Sea

According to Ukrainian security officials who spoke to the BBC, a Russian navy ship was seriously damaged on Friday when a Ukrainian naval drone attack occurred close to the Russian Black Sea town of Novorossiysk.

Later, footage supposedly capturing the drone striking the big landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak surfaced. Unverified footage from another incident shows a badly listed ship being hauled to dock.

However, the Russian defense ministry claimed to have thwarted a two-sea drone attack by Ukraine on its naval station in Novorossiysk while denying any physical harm had occurred.

The key export center for Russia, Novorossiysk, is located southeast of the Kerch Strait.

After Russia reneged on a significant UN agreement that allowed grain to be securely moved across the Black Maritime, maritime clashes have been worse in recent weeks.

Russian drones and missiles have pounded Ukrainian ports, and Kyiv has pledged to react.

Separately, later on, Saturday, Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold negotiations to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

About 30 nations have received invitations to the conference in Jeddah, on the Red Sea, but not Russia.

In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.