Moscow hit back with missiles Saturday after Ukraine carried out a drone strike overnight on a Russian tanker in the Kerch Strait, a day after another of its ships was hit in the Black Sea.
The Russian strike was the latest against critical infrastructure since Moscow exited a deal last month that had ensured Ukrainian grain exports despite the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian strike that included hypersonic Kinzhal missiles had targeted Motor Sich, a maker of plane and helicopter engines and other components, in the western region of Khmelnytskyi.
The firm is one of several "strategic" firms taken over by Ukraine's defense ministry last November.
Motor Sich's headquarters are in the partially Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, whose governor also reported Russian missile strikes, though it was unclear is the company was targeted.
In his evening address, Zelenskyy remained defiant, insisting that "no matter how many such Russian attacks there are, they will still do nothing for the enemy".
This latest strike came after Ukraine claimed it "blew up" a Russian tanker, the 'SIG', that was transporting fuel for Russian troops, a Ukrainian security source told AFP.
The tanker was hit at around 11:20 p.m. on Friday south of the Kerch Strait, Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport said.
The ship was holed at the waterline in the area of the engine room but was still afloat, the agency said.
In a video obtained by AFP purporting to show the attack, a vessel is seen approaching a large ship before the connection cuts off.
The Ukrainian source said the "successful special operation", which involved a naval drone and explosives, was carried out jointly with the navy in Ukrainian territorial waters.
The SIG oil and chemical tanker is under U.S. sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria, who are supporting President Bashar al-Assad.
The Russian foreign ministry condemned the attack on a "civilian vessel, which not only threatened to kill its crew but also posed the risk of a large-scale environmental disaster".
The ministry said the crew had not been injured.
Traffic on a key bridge across the Kerch Strait linking the Moscow-annexed Crimea peninsula to Russia's mainland resumed early on Saturday after a three-hour halt, according to the Russian highways information centre's Telegram channel.
Crimea has been disrupted by several strikes throughout the war but it has seen more frequent attacks in recent weeks.
Russian forces on Saturday downed a drone over the sea near Sevastopol, city governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said.
Ukrainian drone strikes on Crimea in July blew up an ammunition depot and damaged the strategic bridge across the Kerch Strait.
Tensions have risen on the Black Sea overall since Russia pulled out of the agreement protecting grain exports via the shipping hub during the conflict.
On Friday, Ukraine struck the Olenegorsky Gornyak vessel at the Novorossiysk base in southern Russia, a Ukrainian security source told AFP, "to show that Ukraine can attack any Russian warship in that zone".
Russia said it had repelled the attempted attack.
On Saturday, Russia said it had intercepted a U.S. Reaper MQ-9 military drone over the Black Sea.
On the front line, Russia said it had captured the settlement of Novoselivske in northeastern Ukraine, where Kyiv said it was confronted with a growing number of attacks.
Footage from the Russian army showed Novoselivske completely destroyed, with white smoke billowing over crumbling buildings.
Ukrainian army spokeswoman Ganna Malyar said Friday that Russian troops were aiming to draw Ukrainian resources to the east, as Ukraine pursues its counter-offensive in the south.
Ukraine began a fresh attempt in June to push back Russian troops but it has made only modest progress, its forces contending with well-entrenched Russian positions built up over several months.
With both sides focused on winning on the battlefield, any chance to secure peace looks thin.
Saudi Arabia is nevertheless hosting talks on the war with representatives from nearly 40 countries -- including China, India and South Africa -- but not Russia.
Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said the session would "not be easy" given the range of countries represented but "our task is to unite the whole world around Ukraine".
The talks concluded Saturday and as expected, no final declaration was released. But a European source said there had been agreement that respect for Ukraine's "territorial integrity and sovereignty" should be "at the heart of any peace settlement".
© 2023 AFP
31 Comments
TaiwanIsNotChina
This could be another way to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Blacklabel
So this “Russian” tanker isn’t a civilian target too?
RichardPearce
So, Russia targeted MILITARY sites, not 'critical infrastructure', and apparently supplying support to a democratic government dealing with terrorists and an illegal invasion is a bad thing according to the US, and vessels that do so should be subject to sanctions or even targetted with weapons.
It's all there in the article, just quietly.
ok1517
That "SIG" was a vessel intended (and doing so) to transport fuel (or weapons).
So a very legit target!
Contrary to what Russians "achieved" again:
bombing a blood transfusion center in Kupiansk, destroying more civilian infrastructure, killing and wounding more innocent people!
Ukraine prevails!
cleo
Makes a change, dunit?
But they still managed to display their true nature:
Russia said it had captured the settlement of Novoselivske in northeastern Ukraine, ....
Footage from the Russian army showed Novoselivske completely destroyed, with white smoke billowing over crumbling buildings.
That village (population in Feb 2022 736, current population 0) was 'critical infrastructure' for its residents until the nutcase in the kremlin launched his Special Orc Operation.
UChosePoorly
Keep pounding, Ukraine!
EFD
Russians want to cut off the Black sea to Ukraine shipping, so let them see how it feels.
Good luck shipping there without insurance, Ruskies.
falseflagsteve
Both sides are demonic and have zero respect for human life. It’s a very sad affair and this nonsense needs to end now.
Blacklabel
The “but Russia does it toooooo” cries still dont make it right or moral or virtuous when Ukraine attacks civilians.
it had fuel or weapons or something, honest!
Not buying it. It’s a civilian ship, staffed not by military but by mariners.
Aren’t we forced into supporting Ukraine cause supposedly they are the righteous and moral ones in this conflict?
Cards fan
Right, because defensing yourself is the same as attacking someone. just pathetic.
Blacklabel
merchant, meaning non military ship with non military cargo staffed by non military mariners.
this is ok because…..?
falseflagsteve
Cards Fan
My dear fellow, your simplistic view of the localised squabble may seem rather charming to some, yet I find it awfully sad. People are dying daily and being made homeless, mostly civilians. Men are being forced to join the military on both sides, in Ukraine even men in their 60’s. Both sides target civilians and non military site, as we see in this article.
no one is innocent.
falseflagsteve
Yamaneko
Mr Zelensky lost his mind a while ago. He believe he would be victorious by now. He believed the fake info he was given by the West how Russia would capitulate. He became a media celeb, on the cover of Vogue etc. He felt untouchable and now it’s all going wrong. He’s stopped upcoming elections, suppressed media and put opponents in prison. He is in no way a better or more moral man than Mr Putin.
ClippetyClop
No you don’t. You find it sad that Ukraine isn’t surrendering.
Russia invading doesn’t seem to make you sad.
Are you going to threaten to give me a thrashing again today Steve? I enjoyed that threat immensely.
stormcrow
Russia hits back with missiles ??? Say what?!
Russia's been bombing Ukraine's schools, hospitals, churches, etc., since they invaded Ukraine. Who would expect anything less? The only difference between the way they both bomb targets is that Ukraine is attacks military targets, whereas Russia is much more interested in bombing civilian targets, especially where there might be helpless children.
Cards fan
"Simplistic" as you may find it, you've yet to give a convincing rebuttal explaining why the side defending itself is just as bad as the side attacking. No one would be dying if Russia kept to itself.
falseflagsteve
Cards
Given ample reasons old boy. Both tyrannical regimes run by oligarchs with zero value for human life.
Blacklabel
I don’t care if someone gets invaded once I find out they are no less corrupt and no more moral or righteous than the invaders.
wallace
Zelensky is the defender, and Putin is the attacker and invader. They are never the same.
wallace
Blacklabel
You don't care if a sovereign nation is invaded?
falseflagsteve
wallace
Both sides are corrupt anyone run by oligarchs who suppress the media and the people. Please look into it more, they are all scoundrels and bounders you see
Blacklabel
That’s not enough. you gotta have a clear difference in morals and righteousness. which doesn’t exist once Ukraine also purposely targets civilians.
Do you get upset when one drug cartel takes over the territory of another drug cartel? to the point that you would pay and arm the side that was “invaded”?
do you have a preferred drug cartel or street gang?
I don’t- I easily can determine that both cartels or both street gangs are bad for targeting innocent people, and then support neither.
Cards fan
Hogwash. We all know that's not the real reason you're against Ukraine. Also, they are, in fact, less corrupt than the invaders, and absolutely more righteous than those doing the invading.
falseflagsteve
Blacklabel
Good points old top. Though I fear that most see this as a fight between good and evil
Blacklabel
When they are just as corrupt and morally bankrupt as the invaders? nope.
It’s like picking the Crips over the Bloods. I don’t support either and just want all the criminal acts and killing of innocents on both sides to stop.
If that means one group or country comes out weaker than before the dispute started to make that happen, so be it.