The responses from Kyiv multiply. Russia said on Sunday it had repelled a Ukrainian remote-controlled boat attack on one of its warships patrolling the Black Sea near two gas pipelines carrying Russian hydrocarbons to Turkey.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces unsuccessfully tried to attack the Black Sea Fleet ship Priazovye with the help of six high-speed drones,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.
According to him, this attack occurred on the night of Saturday to Sunday while the Russian ship was carrying out its mission to “ensure security along the routes of the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the southeastern part of the Black Sea.” These two pipelines are used to transport Russian gas to Türkiye.
Several incidents in the Black Sea in recent months
According to the Russian ministry, the ship managed to destroy all Ukrainian ships and was not damaged. Russia had previously reported a similar attack on May 24, when the patrol boat Ivan Khours was attacked in the Black Sea by remote-controlled boats, in Turkey’s exclusive economic zone.
According to Moscow, during this attack and the one on Sunday, an American RQ-4B reconnaissance drone “carried out an airspace exploration of the central part of the Black Sea.” There have been several incidents involving Russian warships or aircraft in the Black Sea since the start of the offensive in Ukraine launched on February 24, 2022.
The area is also used for the export of Ukrainian grain, a crucial supply for countries in Africa and Asia, thanks to a UN-sponsored deal with Turkey.
Source: BFM TV
