Sharjah24 – AFP: A Russian tanker was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kerch Strait, briefly halting traffic on the strategic bridge linking Crimea to Russia on Saturday, a day after one of Moscow's warships was hit in the Black Sea.
The number of attacks in the Black Sea has increased from both sides since Moscow exited a deal last month that had allowed Ukrainian grain exports via the shipping hub during the conflict between the two countries.
The Russian tanker SIG was hit around 11:20 pm (2020 GMT) Friday south of the Kerch Strait, Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport said.
The SIG suffered a hole at the waterline in the area of the engine room, "presumably as a result of an attack by a marine drone", the agency said on Telegram. "The ship is afloat."
An oil boom had been placed around the vessel and preparations were under way to patch the damage, it said.
The Marine Traffic vessel-tracking website showed the SIG stationary and attended by tugs just south of the strait.
The oil and chemical tanker is under US sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria supporting President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency said there were no casualties in the attack, citing the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of Novorossiysk.
Traffic on the bridge across the Kerch Strait linking the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula to Russia's mainland was halted for around three hours and resumed early Saturday, according to the Russian highways information centre's Telegram channel.
For an optimal experience, please
