BLACK SEA ATTACK
Moment Ukrainian sea drone hits SECOND Russian warship in 24 hours in latest blast to rock Putin’s Black Sea fleet
UKRAINE has unleashed a second marine drone attack in just 24 hours on Putin's Black Sea fleet, blasting a hole through yet another of his ships.
Dramatic footage onboard the explosive-packed kamikaze sea drone shows the exact moment it struck the 4,754-ton Russian tanker in the Black Sea off the coast of annexed Crimea.
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The engine room of the 463ft-long oil and chemical tanker was flooded and the vessel was forced to seek help, according to the audio of those onboard.
Members of the 11-strong crew suffered abrasions from shattered glass as the control room was partially destroyed.
Bright explosions could be seen from afar as the tanker - loaded with fuel - was hit.
In a humiliating blow to Putin, the attack came only a day after Russian warship Olenegorsky Gornyak was damaged following an almost identical Ukrainian sea drone attack.
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According to sources from Ukraine's security service (SBU), Saturday's daring mission was again orchestrated jointly with the Ukrainian navy and 450kg of TNT explosives were involved, reported.
A giant explosion seen from the shore was initially thought to have been an attack on Putin’s beloved £3 billion Crimean Bridge which also faced overnight drone assaults.
But it emerged that the huge night strike was on the SIG oil and chemical tanker which regularly carries cargoes - allegedly including explosives - between Russia and Syria.
The voice of a SIG crew member seeking help by radio was overheard saying: “We cannot move by ourselves without a tug.
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The engine room is completely flooded. The management don't know what will be decided….”.
Tugs went to assist the vessel and the crew were given pumps, while an assessment is being made of damage to the vessel.
Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Medvedev, warned Ukraine that there would be retaliation for their "terrorist attacks" and accused them of trying to "arrange an ecological catastrophe in the Black Sea".
The Russian-flagged SIG, built in St Petersburg, has been under sanctions since 2019 due to its role in supplying cargoes to Syria.
The Ukrainian defence ministry warned on July 21 that ships heading to Russian ports would be considered part of Putin’s war effort and were potential military targets.
Only a day earlier Russia had threatened Ukraine with a similar warning.
Earlier this week Russia reported that the Vasily Bykov and Sergey Kotov patrol ships had been targeted by Ukrainian kamikaze drones.
At the time the two vessels were escorting the Sig en-route from Syria, it is believed.
“Such an attack is intended not only to force Russia to return to the infamous grain deal, but also to partially jeopardise the logistical capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces in the Middle East,” stated Rybar pro-war channel in Russia.
The badly-holed Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship is now in dock in Novorossiysk naval base.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, said the use of drones in the Black Sea, "will ensure freedom and security in the Black Sea for world trade”.
He claimed “drones are changing the rules of the game and returning the water area to full-fledged external jurisdiction”,
“The presence of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea will be put to an end, and with it, the traditional Moscow blackmail,” he said.
The attack follows a series of suspected Ukrainian strikes on Russia from the air and sea recently as Kyiv vowed to bring the war close to Putin's doorstep.
In the so-called "War of the Drones", Ukraine has been fighting back with increased vigour and equipment, launching 120 suspected strikes deep into Russia in only six months.
Meanwhile, a major Russian missile plant has been hit by an explosion threatening production of lethal Iskander missiles used against Ukraine.
Initial reports pointed to a drone strike on a “secret” workshop at Votkinsky Machine-Building Plant in Udmurtia region - a major weapons making enterprise - but later claims said the explosion was triggered during tests.
The company downplayed the incident and stated the damage was minimal, no employees were injured and "there is no threat to life or injury."
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However, doubt online has been cast over the official statement as users have suggested the damage is more extensive than admitted.
Moscow has consistently adopted a brazen policy of attempting to hide incidents that would harm its war effort.
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