On the evening of August 4, in the Kerch Strait, a Russian tanker carrying chemicals, named “SIG,” was reportedly damaged in an attack by maritime drones. According to reports from The Moscow Times and ТАСС, the tanker had arrived from Türkiye before the incident occurred.

An audio recording from the Telegram channel “Осторожно, новости” (“Caution, News”) has been published, allegedly capturing conversations among the crew of the Russian tanker, which was damaged by a Ukrainian drone. In the recording, the crew stated that the vessel was afloat but unable to move independently.

The Russian chemical tanker “SIG” was transporting aviation fuel from Crimea to Syria, which led to its inclusion in the US sanctions list in 2019.

Following the attack, the Russian rescue center in Taman, Russia, dispatched a team of rescuers from the city of Novorossiysk to the Kerch Strait region. The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Novorossiysk confirmed the deployment of the rescue team to the strait.

Later, “ТАСС” reported, citing the Maritime Rescue Center, that the Russian tanker sustained damages during an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the crew was safe. Two tugboats have arrived at the scene to assist the damaged tanker, and arrangements for towing the vessel are being made. The tanker was carrying a crew of 11 people, most of whom suffered minor injuries from broken glass due to the attack.

Photographs from inside the damaged tanker were published by the Russian Telegram channel “Baza.” According to the channel’s preliminary information, the drone strike hit the engine room and the pumping compartment of the vessel, which was approximately 30 miles offshore.