A Ukrainian drone has struck a Russian tanker as it was passing from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, Reuters reported, citing information from Rostov Region Governor Yuri Slyusar, BTA reports.
According to Slyusar, a fire broke out on board the vessel after the attack, which has since been extinguished. He specified that there was no risk of an oil spill, as the tanker's tanks were empty at the time of the strike.
No crew members were injured in the attack.
The attack comes amid Ukraine's intensified campaign against Russian oil and transport infrastructure in the Black and Azov Seas. According to Reuters, in recent days, the Ukrainian military has attacked more than 40 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov.
The aim of the operation, according to the Ukrainian side, is to disrupt the fuel supply chain for Russian forces and limit supplies to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted its attacks on logistics facilities and supporting infrastructure, which, according to Russian and international assessments, has already led to problems with fuel supplies in Crimea.
Moscow-appointed authorities on the peninsula have reported fuel shortages and declared a state of emergency due to the difficulties, Reuters reports.