Sea surface drone damages U.S.-sanctioned Russian tanker near Kerch Strait bridge

As a result of an attack by maritime drones near the Kerch Strait, Russia’s tanker SIG, which was anchored in the area after arriving from Türkiye, is believed to have been damaged.

That’s according to a number of Telegram channels, Ukrinform reports.

According to Ostorozhno, Novosti, the vessel is listing at 1 to 2 degrees. No casualties were reported among the crew. The impact from the drone attack caused a detonation that was seen from the Crimea coast. The incident occurred at a distance of 32 nautical miles from the Kerch Strait. The tanker was anchored.

The channel also posted radio communications of the SIG crew saying that the ship is afloat, but it cannot move on its own. The Mercury boat arrived to provide assistance.

"We ourselves cannot move without a tugboat. The engine room is flooded. We do not know what our management will there. We need to be tugged to a shipyard or something. We didn’t drain the water out, it stopped coming in by itself (the water). We just have as much there as it is. The ship is in ballast. All cargo tanks are empty. The ship is afloat. The water rose to the waterline until it stopped," the crew reported.

It should be recalled that the Sig is a commercial tanker flying the Russian flag. It is reported that he delivered aviation jet fuel from Crimea to Syria, for which the vessel was put on the U.S. sanctions lists.

It is not a civilian vessel so it falls under the ban of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on the transportation of military cargo.