Ukraine aims to cripple Russia’s energy security with naval drones
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A new escalation in the Ukraine war seems imminent, as Kyiv launched a naval drone attack on a Russian tanker in the Black Sea. The attack damaged the engine room of the tanker, which was carrying oil and fuel for Russia’s military operations in Syria. The crew escaped unharmed, but the attack heightened the already strained relations between the two countries that have worsened since 2021.
The Black Sea region
The Black Sea region is of strategic importance for both Ukraine and Russia, as it links them to key markets and resources in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It also houses the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, triggering an ongoing conflict that has killed over 14,000 people.
Ukraine has been striving to reclaim its sovereignty over its territorial waters in the Black Sea, especially near the Kerch Strait, which joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. Russia has constructed a bridge over the strait, which Ukraine deems illegal, and has repeatedly attacked it with drone strikes.
As per Politico's report, the naval drone attack on the Russian oil tanker is the latest in a series of provocations by Ukraine, which also include targeting a Russian naval base and a warship near Novorossiysk with another marine drone. Russia has responded by withdrawing from a U.N.-brokered initiative to regulate grain trade in the Black Sea and launching missile strikes on Ukrainian ports and grain silos.
Ukraine has declared that Russian vessels are no longer safe in the Black Sea and that they may be considered as carrying military cargo with all the corresponding risks. Kyiv has also announced a “war risk area” around Russian ports on the Black Sea, warning of possible attacks.
More attacks to come
Ukraine’s Security Service chief Vasyl Malyuk has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Crimean Bridge and hinted that there will be more similar attacks soon. He said that such operations are legal and effective against the enemy and that Ukraine will defeat Russia in this war.
Russia has condemned Ukraine’s actions as aggressive and provocative and has accused Kyiv of violating international law and norms. Russia has also warned that it will defend its interests and security in the Black Sea region with all necessary means.
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