A tanker was struck by a Ukrainian drone while entering the Azov-Black Sea Canal, according to the governor of Russia’s Rostov region, Yury Slyusar.
Slyusar said the attack caused a fire on the vessel, but emergency teams managed to bring the blaze under control. He added that there was no risk of an oil spill as the tanker was empty at the time of the incident.
No casualties were reported following the attack, he said in a statement shared on the Telegram messaging platform.
The incident comes as Ukraine has stepped up strikes against Russian maritime and energy-related targets, with Kyiv saying the operations are aimed at disrupting fuel supplies used by Russian forces.
Ukrainian forces have recently targeted more than 40 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov as part of efforts to weaken Moscow’s logistics network and put pressure on Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has also increased attacks on energy infrastructure and transport links in Crimea in recent weeks, contributing to fuel shortages and leading authorities on the peninsula to declare a state of emergency.
