Ukrainian drones targeted a Russian tanker in the Black Sea near Crimea on Friday night, as confirmed by Russian officials and video footage circulating on social media. This attack followed another sea attack earlier in the day when Ukraine struck a major Russian port.
The Black Sea has become an increasingly important battleground as Ukraine’s naval capabilities grow.
Three weeks ago, Moscow withdrew from a key export agreement that allowed Ukraine to ship grain across the Black Sea for sale on world markets. In response, Russia launched multiple strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa.
An official from Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed that they were responsible for the attack on the Russian tanker, which was transporting fuel for Russian forces. The attack involved a sea drone filled with 450 kilograms of TNT. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the 11 crew members.
Vladimir Rogov, a Kremlin-installed official in Ukraine’s partially occupied southern Zaporizhzhia region, stated that several members of the ship’s crew were wounded due to broken glass.
Although not explicitly stating that Ukraine was responsible for the attack, Vasyl Malyuk, the leader of Ukraine’s Security Service, defended such operations conducted in their territorial waters as completely legal and justified.
The attack briefly halted traffic on the Kerch Bridge and ferry transport. Tugboats were deployed to assist the damaged tanker, which is under United States sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria.
This incident follows Ukraine’s strike on Novorossiysk earlier in the day, which disrupted maritime traffic for a few hours. It marked the first time a commercial Russian port had been targeted since the conflict began 18 months ago.
In other news, a two-day summit aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine began in Saudi Arabia. Senior officials from around 40 countries, excluding Russia, will gather to agree on key principles to end the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for providing a platform for negotiations and emphasized the importance of implementing a Peace Formula to address issues like food security and the well-being of millions of people around the world.
The main Ukrainian envoy to the summit, Andriy Yermak, expects the discussions to be challenging but remains hopeful for a positive outcome.
