Last night a sea drone blew up a large Russian oil tanker, SIG, which was transporting fuel for Russian troops, near the Kerch Strait, sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have told LB.ua.
"The special operation was conducted according to the classic scenario: a surface drone, 450 kg of TNT, and an explosion. As a result, one of the most powerful oil tankers in Russia (built in 2014, almost 5,000 tonnes) started its 'negative voyage' near the Crimea Bridge," the sources said.
The tanker was heavily loaded with fuel, so the detonation was visible on the peninsula.
The incident occurred at a distance of 51 km from the Kerch Strait, when the tanker was at anchor. The crew of the vessel was hardly harmed, the engine room was damaged.
"The SBU conducted another successful special operation jointly with the Navy. It is interesting that it took place in the territorial waters of Ukraine. As they say, 'no f**king around'," the sources added.
SIG is a commercial tanker flying the Russian flag. It was used to deliver aviation fuel from Crimea to Syria, for which it was included in the US sanctions lists. The tanker is not a civilian vessel and is banned by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine from transporting military cargo.
Yesterday, explosions were heard near the Kerch (Crimea) Bridge, followed by fire and smoke. A military airfield may have been hit. The bridge is currently closed to traffic and lights were turned off due to "security measures".
As reported earlier, Russia restricted surface and submarine navigation in the Kerch Strait. This also concerns aircraft.