Ukrainian drones hit a Russian tanker near Crimea, Russia says, in the 2nd sea attack in a day

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A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian tanker in the Black Sea near Crimea, as reported by Russian officials and social media videos. This incident marked the second sea attack involving drones in a single day, with Ukraine having previously targeted a major Russian port.

The growing naval capabilities of Kyiv are turning the Black Sea into an increasingly critical battleground in the ongoing war between the two countries. Three weeks prior to this attack, Moscow withdrew from an essential export agreement that allowed Ukraine to ship large quantities of grain through the Black Sea for international trade. In retaliation, Russia conducted several strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa.

An anonymous official from Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed their involvement in the tanker attack. They used a sea drone loaded with 450 kilograms of TNT for the strike, which resulted in damage to the tanker’s engine room but no casualties among the crew.

While the attack temporarily disrupted traffic on the Kerch Bridge and ferry transport, it didn’t have a substantial impact on Russian shipping activity. An expert believes these attacks might escalate tensions and lead to further Russian assaults on Ukrainian ports, rather than prompting Russia to stop its attacks and restore the grain deal.

In response to Ukraine’s actions, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the capture of a settlement in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, which is mostly under Russian occupation.

Meanwhile, a two-day summit aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict began in Saudi Arabia, with representatives from around 40 countries participating. Notably, Russia was not present at the summit, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the negotiations.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the idea of making decisions on the conflict without Russia’s involvement but acknowledged that the delegates had the opportunity to discuss the issue freely.

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More about Ukraine-Russia Conflict

• Reuters: Ukrainian drones hit Russian tanker near Crimea
• BBC News: Ukraine strikes major Russian port
• AP: War in Ukraine Coverage
• TASS: Russian tanker targeted by Ukrainian drone
• ABC News: Black Sea Conflict Escalation
• Ukrinform: Ukraine’s Security Service confirms attack on tanker
• Saudi Gazette: Peace Summit on Ukraine-Russia conflict
• Euractiv: Russia’s stance on Peace Summit