VLADIMIR Putin’s ally has demanded revenge on Ukraine after two ferocious marine drone attacks on the President’s Black Sea fleet.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova vowed to “punish” those responsible for the strikes on his prized warships.
Two almost identical kamikaze sea drone attacks occurred in the space of 24 hours, leaving two Russian ships severely damaged.
Around 450kg of TNT explosives is reported to have been used by Ukraine’s security service (SBU) and the country’s navy to blast the boats.
Senior Russian official Zakharova described the latest incident as a “terrorist attack” on a civilian vessel in a furious Telegram post.
She wrote: “There can be no justification for such barbaric actions, they will not go unanswered and their authors and perpetrators will inevitably be punished.”
Hours later, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had bombed a blood bank in eastern Ukraine, killing several people and injuring dozens more.
He described the deployment of a guided aerial bomb on the transfusion centre in the town of Kupiansk as a “war crime.”
Moscow was expected to seek vengeance for the twin strikes as they came as a humiliating double blow to Putin.
Dramatic footage onboard Ukraine’s explosive-packed sea drone captured the exact moment it struck the 4,754-ton Russian oil and chemical tanker in the Black Sea off the coast of annexed Crimea early on Saturday.
It can be seen menacingly approaching the illuminated ship before slamming into its side – flooding the engine room.
Members of the 11-strong crew suffered abrasions from shattered glass after the control room was partially destroyed, forcing them to seek help.
A Ukrainian intelligence source said the drone hit the vessel while it was transporting fuel for Russian forces in Ukrainian waters.
They said: “The tanker was well loaded with fuel, so the ‘fireworks’ were seen from afar.”
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.
“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 and recovery remained underway.
Russia’s Novorossiysk Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre said there was no fuel spill as the ship had only been carrying technical ballast.
The head of Ukraine’s SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, did not directly admit responsibility but said it was a “logical and efficient step towards the enemy.”
“Moreover, such special operations are conducted in the territorial waters of Ukraine and are completely legal,” he said on Telegram
The Russian-flagged SIG, built in St Petersburg, has been under sanctions since 2019 due to its role in supplying cargoes to Syria.
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Medvedev, also 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”.
DRONE WARS
The strike came less than a day after Ukraine unleashed a sea drone attack on the key Russian port and naval base Novorossiysk.
The video shows a drone burning before exploding in the harbour sparking a massive fireball.
Another clip showed the Russian naval landing Olenegorsky Gornya being towed towards the harbour after it sustained significant damage.
The blast in the port was seen, some 450 nautical miles, from the Kyiv-held waters where the drone was likely launched.
Two Russian naval vessels – landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak and anti-sabotage boat Suvorovets – were deployed to shoot at the incoming surface drones.
Ship movements in key port Novorossiysk – the second largest Russian-run after St Petersburg – were halted amid the drone bombardment and sound of gunfire.
Locals reported seeing “a bright flash over the sea and explosions”.
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.
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.
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