The Russian-flagged ship, the Sig, was hit by a drone carrying 450 kilograms (992 pounds) of TNT shortly before midnight, according to a Ukraine Security Service source.
Ukrainian officials, however, said some crew were injured and that the tanker was carrying fuel for the Russian military.
The strike on the Sig came just hours after Ukrainian sea drones targeted a major naval base in Novorossiysk, a coastal city on the Black Sea that is home to Russia’s largest port by volume of cargo handled.
Ukraine has stepped up its attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles in recent weeks, hitting targets well within Russian territory, including in Moscow.
The new generation of powerful sea drones, however, could open up a new front for Kyiv in the 18-month conflict.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, Vasyl Maliuk, ” Maliuk
Organizations:
Ukraine CNN, TNT, Ukraine Security Service, Federal Agency for Marine, Transport, CNN, Sig, Kyiv, Russia’s Defense Ministry Ukrainian, Ukrainian Security Service, Service, Security Service
Locations:
Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Novorossiysk, Russian, Moscow, Kerch, Russia, Crimea, Feodosia, ”, reticence