Black, oily water fills the engine room of the hit Russian tanker
Photographs have surfaced, revealing the substantial damage inflicted on the Russian tanker, Sig, which was hit by a Ukrainian unmanned surface drone in the vicinity of the Kerch Strait on Friday evening. This marked the second successful drone boat assault on Russian vessels in the Black Sea within a 24-hour span.
The aftermath of the attack saw the ship’s engine room inundated with waist-deep, black, oily water. On the upper deck, the bridge’s windows were blown out and the pilothouse was distorted due to the shockwave produced by the explosion of hundreds of pounds of explosives when the drone boat contacted Sig’s hull.
The extent of the damage aligns with footage captured from the drone used in the attack, with the point of impact at the waterline close to the engine room. The Sig, which has previously been seen crossing the Bosphorus delivering fuel to the main Syrian oil refinery in Baniyas, is under sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department.
Ukraine has also relayed its alerts to vessels operating in the vicinity of six Russian ports on the Black Sea. The waters surrounding the ports of Taman, Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, and Sochi have been designated “war risk” zones until further notice.
Defense against drones is hard
Earlier in July, Kyiv had issued a warning that any ships sailing through the Black Sea to Russian or Russian-occupied ports “may be regarded by Ukraine as transporting military goods, with all the associated risks.” On Saturday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted a stark message on Twitter: “It’s time to say to the Russian killers, ‘It’s enough.’ There are no more safe waters or peaceful harbors for you in the Black and Azov Seas.”
According to the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, Russia exported 4.9 million tons of oil via the Black Sea on 42 tankers in June 2023. If Ukraine starts targeting Russian tankers and other cargo vessels in the Black Sea, the Black Sea Fleet may have to incorporate escort duty into its mission to secure the shipping lanes.
However, defending against unmanned surface vessels poses a formidable challenge for warships under direct assault. Even with the escort of Russian naval ships, a string of cargo vessels would remain highly vulnerable.
We recall
A Russian tanker was hit by a drone strike in the Kerch Strait, according to Russian officials. This happened the day after Kyiv reported a maritime drone attack on a naval vessel. The Russian Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport said the SIG tanker had a hole in the engine room likely caused by the drone attack. No one was injured.
Two tugboats were dispatched to help the tanker after the strike. The attack led to a temporary stop in traffic on the Kerch Bridge, a key connection between Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia. Early Saturday, explosions were heard near the bridge. Officials think these were related to the tanker attack. The ship, with 11 crew members, didn’t leak any fuel.
A Ukrainian sea drone showed a strike on the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship. Ukraine hasn’t officially commented on the event. The targeted vessel was said to be the SIG, a chemical tanker under US sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria.
Vladimir Rogov, a Russian official in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, said some crew members were injured from shattered glass caused by the attack. Rogov mentioned on Telegram that the explosion was visible from the peninsula, causing locals to think an explosion had taken place near the Yakovenkovo settlement, close to the Crimean Bridge. Traffic on the Kerch Bridge resumed roughly three hours after the incident.
Attacks in the Black Sea are increasing
This Black Sea incident occurred a day after Ukraine reported a drone strike on a Russian warship at the Novorossiysk naval base. Russia said it had prevented an attack on the base by the Ukrainian armed forces using two unmanned boats.
Since Moscow pulled out of an agreement last month, attacks in the Black Sea have increased. This agreement ensured Ukrainian grain exports through the shipping hub during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The bridge, completed by Russia in 2018, four years after the annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine, has been targeted twice since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began 17 months ago. The most recent attack happened last month.
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