Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Tanker in Black Sea

The Black Sea became the battleground for a second sea attack involving drones late Friday night as Ukrainian drones hit a Russian tanker near Crimea, according to Russian officials and social media footage.

Earlier on the same day, Ukraine had struck a major Russian port in Novorossiysk. As Kyiv’s naval capabilities grow, the region has turned into a critical theatre of war.

The attack on the tanker comes in the aftermath of Russia’s withdrawal from a crucial export agreement, which allowed Ukraine to ship grain across the Black Sea for sale on world markets. In retaliation, Russia conducted repeated strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa.

An official from Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed to The Associated Press that they were responsible for the drone attack on the Russian tanker, which was carrying fuel for Russian forces. A sea drone carrying 450 kilograms of TNT was used for the attack. The strike resulted in a hole in the tanker’s engine room near the waterline on the starboard side, but there were no casualties among the 11 crew members, as reported by Russia’s Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport.

Vasyl Malyuk, who leads Ukraine’s Security Service, stated that such special operations are conducted in Ukraine’s territorial waters and are completely legal, terming the explosions as an “absolutely logical and effective step with regard to the enemy.”

The attack briefly halted traffic on the Kerch Bridge and ferry transport. Tugboats were deployed to assist the tanker, which is under United States sanctions for providing jet fuel to Russian forces fighting in Syria.

The Ukrainian strike on Novorossiysk marked the first time a commercial Russian port has been targeted in the nearly 18-month-old conflict. The port is crucial for exports and lies about 110 kilometers east of Crimea.

In Saudi Arabia, a two-day summit aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine commenced. Senior officials from around 40 countries are participating, but Russia is not present. The summit aims 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 significance of swift implementation of the Peace Formula, particularly for the fate of millions of people in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world.

The talks at the summit are expected to be challenging, but the Ukrainian envoy, Andriy Yermak, remains hopeful, stating that they are driven by truth and goodness.

As tensions continue to rise in the region, the world closely watches the developments in the Black Sea and hopes for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Source: The Associated Press (AP)