Russian maritime rescue units were deployed on August 5 to assist an oil tanker off the coast of Crimea that was damaged after a suspected attack by a Ukrainian drone, RT reported.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Novorossiysk Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) told TASS: “The crew is safe, no one was injured. The engine room was damaged, although not seriously.”
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Two tugboats have been sent to assist the ship and they are deciding whether to tow it away.
According to multiple Telegram channels, the ship is the Russian-registered Sig tanker, but the information has not been confirmed.
Crimean official Oleg Kryuchkov said local residents heard “loud noises” but could not confirm any explosions in the area, leading to speculation that the target could have been an oil tanker.
Earlier, a radio message from Sig had been sent out, requesting assistance, saying their engine room was flooded but the ship was stable and needed to be towed to shore. They did not say what had caused the damage.
On August 4, Ukrainian maritime drones were also reported to have attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet base in Novorossiysk. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Kiev of attempting to sink civilian ships heading toward the Bosphorus Strait, but the attacks were thwarted.
Meanwhile, the Crimean Bridge has been attacked twice so far. In October 2022, a truck loaded with explosives exploded on the bridge, killing three people and causing damage that lasted for months. Last month, a drone exploded under the bridge, killing two people and injuring one.
Earlier this week, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Aleksey Danilov, said the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was involved in both incidents.
Phuong Anh (Source: RT)
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