Russia has reported on Tuesday, August 22, the destruction of a Ukrainian boat close to Russian gas infrastructure in the Black Sea. Tensions between both sides have surged in the Black Sea after Russia’s withdrawal from a United Nations-brokered agreement in July.
Moscow said Tuesday it had destroyed a Ukrainian military “reconnaissance boat” near Russian gas infrastructure in the Black Sea, in the latest clash in the waterway since Moscow’s withdrawal from a major grain export deal.
Attacks by both sides have escalated in the Black Sea since Russia in July pulled out of the United Nations-brokered deal that had allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the shipping hub.
Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian port infrastructure in sea and on the Danube, while Ukraine has attacked Russian ships in its waters and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Late Monday the ministry said its forces downed two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the Crimean peninsula.
Earlier this month a Russian tanker was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kerch Strait, briefly halting traffic on a strategic bridge linking Crimea to Russia.
Moscow targeted
The Moscow region was targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes for a fifth consecutive night, Russian authorities said early Tuesday, although no casualties were reported.
Russia’s defense ministry said there had been no casualties in the attack.
Air traffic at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports had been briefly halted, the TASS news agency earlier quoted an aviation service source as saying.
Two other Ukrainian drones were downed over the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border early Tuesday, Moscow’s defense ministry said on Telegram, adding there were no casualties.
The strikes are the latest in a recent wave of air attacks deep inside Russian territory.
Katrine Houmøller, with AFP
