A unit of Ukraine’s Naval Forces struck the sanctioned vessel MARQUISE in the Black Sea. The tanker was drifting without an Automatic Identification System signal, likely waiting for loading.
According to General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the strike was carried out in the morning using two unmanned surface kamikaze vessels. The target was a Cameroon-flagged tanker with a capacity of over 37,000 tons, located about 210 km southeast of the Russian city of Tuapse at the time of the attack.
The strike hit the stern of the vessel, targeting the propulsion and steering system and the engine room. The extent of the damage is being уточняется.
The General Staff noted that the tanker is under sanctions from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada. According to the Ukrainian military, the vessel was used by Russia for незаконной transportation of нефтепродуктов.