Russian Forces Repel Ukrainian Drone Attack On Civilian Cargo Ships In Black Sea

Russia mentioned on Saturday that it had repelled one attempted Ukraine drone attack on Russia’s civilian transport vessels on Friday in the southwestern area of the Black Sea, a primary artery for grain as well as oil exports from both nations.

Civilian vessels that were on the Black Sea haven’t been targeted since Moscow ordered its troops into Ukraine in Feb 2022. Still, in July, both sides stated they’d start treating vessels headed to the other’s ports as potential carriers of military cargo.

In a statement that was posted on Telegram, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that Ukraine attempted what it refers to as a terrorist attack on Russia’s civilian transport vessels with semi-submersible naval drones. It also mentioned that Russia’s warplanes and patrol boats had averted this attack, impairing a naval drone by Ukraine’s artillery fire as well as disabling the remaining by electronic warfare.

It reported that none of Russia’s civilian/military vessels had been impaired. Reuters, however, couldn’t verify this Russian account. In July 2023, Russia refused to renew a Turkey-brokered deal that allows safe grain exports via the region. It said that all vessels heading to Ukraine’s ports will be treated as carriers of military cargo.

One day later, Ukraine stated that it would be adopting the same stance on vessels bound for Russia and Russian-controlled ports of Ukraine.

It wasn’t clear where the attack had taken place. The southwestern portion of the Black Sea adjoins the Bosphorus Strait of Turkey, via which cargoes that leave the sea move. Ukraine, in recent months, mounted many drones as well as missile attacks on Russia’s military targets located in the Black Sea, sinking one of the naval vessels and damaging the rest.

Reference: Reuters

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Source: Maritime Shipping News