Ukraine has again struck a Russian ship in the Black Sea with a maritime drone. This time, a tanker in the Kerch Strait was hit.
A day earlier, a Ukrainian sea drone damaged a Russian naval landing craft in the port of Novorossiysk.
In this story, we tell you what is known about sea drone attacks. The Aleksanteri Institute’s visiting researcher opens up the meaning of the blows Ilmari Käihkö.
What is known about the latest attacks?
On the night between Friday and Saturday, a Ukrainian maritime drone damaged a tanker named SIG in the Kerch Strait, which separates the Crimean peninsula from Russia.
According to Ukraine, the ship was transporting fuel to the Russian forces. The ship is on the US sanctions list because it has previously transported fuel to Russian fighter jets in Syria.
According to Russia, the drone’s explosion made a hole in the ship near the engine room near the water line. Crew members were wounded in the attack, but no one was killed.
Spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova has condemned the attack as a “terrorist attack”.
Earlier, on the night between Thursday and Friday, a Ukrainian sea drone hit the landing ship Olenogorskij Gornjak in the port of Novorssijsk.
The port in Russia is located about 450 kilometers as the crow flies from the coast held by Ukraine.
The ship appears to have been badly damaged in the impact. Videos and pictures have been published on social media where the ship is tilted in front of the port.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the attacks. However, anonymous official sources have confirmed that they were made by Ukraine.
Video images of both attacks have also been published, in which the drones hit the ships.
Ukraine has carried out more than ten strikes with its maritime drones against Russian ships and ports controlled by it. According to Ukrainian military sources, the July attack on the Kerch bridge was also carried out by sea drones.
What is the meaning of strikes?
Ukraine is the underdog in the Black Sea. Russia has largely destroyed the Ukrainian navy and is blockading Ukrainian ports.
Russia has also bombed Ukrainian grain ports since withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Agreement in July. Previously, thanks to the agreement, Ukraine had been able to export grain through the Black Sea.
Now Ukraine is trying to complicate the blockade of its ports and raise the price of war for Russia, researcher Ilmari Käihkö estimates in a telephone interview with .
Ukraine warned on Saturday that Russian ports in the Black Sea are now facing a military threat. A significant share of Russia’s foreign trade passes through these ports.
– The costs will come from the fact that the ports will probably have to be closed, Käihkö estimates.
Secondly, the strikes make it difficult for the Russian navy to operate.
– There are areas on the coast of Ukraine where Russia no longer dares to operate. It’s too dangerous for them, says Käihkö.
What is a meridrone?
Meridrones are small unmanned sea vessels. They can travel either by themselves or remotely controlled and either on the surface of the sea or under it.
There is not much information about the sea drones used in the attacks. It can be concluded from the video images that they travel on the surface of the water, are quite small and are loaded with explosives.
However, Ukraine has previously presented news channel for CNN the drones they have developed.
The drones seen by CNN are surface vessels about five meters long and weighing about a ton. They can carry around 300 kilograms of explosives and travel a distance of around 800 kilometers.
The ships have been financed by a crowdfunding campaign.
What are the risks of strikes?
The obvious risk of strikes is that damage to an oil tanker in particular can cause oil spills that are harmful to the environment.
So far, there are no signs of this. According to Russia, the tanker that was hit in Kertsinsalmi is not leaking oil.
Researcher Ilmari Käihkö also points out that tankers are typically civilian ships.
– If attacks are then carried out on such civilian targets, there may be legal consequences.
Ukraine has justified its attack on the tanker by saying that it was in its territorial waters.
How can Russia respond to the attacks?
According to Käihkö, a cycle of equipping and revenge is going on in Black Sea. Ukraine is trying to drive the Russian Navy out of the sea, while the Russian Navy is constantly firing missiles at Ukraine.
Ukraine is still looking for new ways to attack Russia deeper and better.
Russia is not known to have used weapons like sea drones, but it has a large superiority in conventional ships.
According to researcher Käihkö, Russia is certainly trying to protect its ships better, but it is difficult. For example, Russia can start escorting oil tankers with its own warships.
– But all this takes resources from Russia and thus benefits Ukraine. And that’s certainly the purpose.
Sources: AFP, Reuters