A Russian-flagged tanker near the Crimean Bridge has been hit by a Ukrainian sea drone, Moscow has mentioned.
Local media in Russia mentioned the SIG vessel was approaching the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov when it was hit.
The claims come a day after a Ukrainian drone broken one other Russian ship within the Black Sea, with Sky News-verified footage exhibiting it partially sunk.
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Interfax, a information company in Ukraine, quoted an nameless safety supply, who mentioned the nation was liable for the assault, which came about in its territorial waters.
Ukraine doesn’t normally admit to assaults on Russian-controlled territory.
Sky News has not verified the claims.
There aren’t any stories of accidents, however the Crimean Bridge was suspended for a number of hours, based on Moscow-backed officers on the peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The vessel focused in Saturday’s assault was delivering oil to Russian troops based mostly in Syria, based on Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in Ukraine’s southeastern area of Zaporizhzhia.
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The SIG, its operator, and its proprietor, had beforehand been sanctioned by the US for serving to present jet gas in Syria.
Posting on Telegram, Mr Rogov mentioned the SIG requested for a tug again to port, alongside footage of the purportedly broken vessel.
“The SIG tanker… received a hole in the engine room near the waterline on the starboard side, preliminarily as a result of a sea drone attack,” Russia’s Federal Marine and River Transport company mentioned in an announcement on Telegram.
Russian-state information company RIA, citing the Novorossiysk Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, mentioned water had stopped coming into the ship, and work to get better it was underneath method.
It added that no gas was spilled.
Russian officers in Crimea mentioned the bridge, which has beforehand been focused, was not hit.
Kyiv didn’t instantly reply to the incident.
Source: information.sky.com”