UPDATE - Russia says fuel tanker hit by Ukrainian drone in Kerch Strait

UPDATES WITH COMMENTS FROM UKRAINE, MINOR EDITS

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – A fuel tanker was hit in the Kerch Strait by a Ukrainian drone, Russian authorities said on Saturday.

The tanker "Sig" got a breach in the area of the engine room at the waterline from the starboard side as a result of an attack by a marine drone, the Russian Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot) said in a statement on Telegram.

There are no casualties or fuel spill, the ship is afloat, and the support vessels were sent to help with the repair work, the statement added.

Commenting on the incident, Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, accused the vessel of being engaged in assisting in Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Any attack against the ships of the Russian Federation or the Crimean bridge is an absolutely logical and effective step towards the enemy," he said.

Malyuk said if Moscow wants the attacks to stop, it must withdraw its forces from Ukraine.

The number of drone attacks on Russian territory has dramatically increased in recent months, with only unmanned aerial vehicles used initially, but in recent weeks, the use of unmanned boats has also become widespread.

Although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for them, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”