Crimean incident: Ukrainian naval drone collides with Russian oil tanker

Stay informed with free updates on the War in Ukraine.

Subscribe to our myFT Daily Digest email to receive the latest news on the War in Ukraine every morning.

An unmanned Ukrainian naval drone has executed a precise strike on a Russian oil tanker in the Kerch Strait near Crimea. This attack demonstrates Kyiv’s increasing effectiveness and aggression in the use of unmanned vehicles.

The Russian reports and a Ukrainian official with knowledge of the operation confirm that the attack occurred early on Saturday morning. The operation was carried out by Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, in collaboration with the country’s navy.

A video released by Ukrainian authorities shows a naval drone successfully hitting the tanker, known as SIG, which was operating under the Russian flag with 11 crew members. The extent of the damage and the crew’s safety are being assessed.

Following the strike, two tugboats were dispatched to assist the damaged vessel. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported, and no fuel leakage occurred.

Interior photos of the SIG reveal significant damage to various compartments, indicating the force of the explosion. The head of the occupation administration in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Vladimir Rogov, confirmed that residents of Crimea witnessed the explosion.

Though Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, SBU head Vasyl Malyuk’s statement suggests their involvement. He justified the attacks on Russian ships as a logical and effective response to the enemy.

Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian territory and vessels are part of their strategy to wear down Moscow, bring the war closer to Russia, and disrupt logistical capabilities. Unmanned aerial and surface vehicles armed with explosives have been employed in these operations.

Notably, the strike on the SIG occurred one day after a Ukrainian sea drone targeted Russia’s Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship near the port of Novorossiysk. Ukrainian officials claim the SBU and the Ukrainian navy were also responsible for that strike.

These Ukrainian attacks come in response to Russian missile and drone strikes on ports in Odesa and the surrounding region. Russian facilities used for the export of grain were targeted. These actions followed Moscow’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered deal that allowed the transportation of cereals through the Black Sea despite the ongoing war.

The US has sanctioned the SIG since 2019 for supplying jet fuel to forces aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Rogov believes that the attack on the tanker aimed not only to pressure Russia into rejoining the grain deal but also to disrupt Russia’s logistical capabilities in the Middle East.

Malyuk warns that attacks on Russian vessels will persist as long as they pose a threat to Ukraine. He urges Russian ships to leave Ukrainian territorial waters and land for their own benefit.