Russia says drones hit tanker carrying fuel for Ukrainian army in Yuzhny port
In short
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck a tanker in the port of Yuzhny in Ukraine's Odesa region with drones on 6 October, saying the vessel was delivering fuel and lubricants intended for Ukraine's armed forces. The ministry said the strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and sea vessels involved in delivering military cargo continued during the day. Vedomosti also reported, citing the ministry, that Russian forces struck cargo trucks near the village of Maiaky in the Odesa region.
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Russia's Defence Ministry said Russian forces struck a tanker in the port of Yuzhny in Ukraine's Odesa region on 6 October, saying the vessel was delivering fuel and lubricants intended to supply Ukraine's armed forces. The statement was carried by state outlets TASS and RIA Novosti in headline form and reported in more detail by Interfax, Vedomosti and RBC. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Interfax quoted the ministry as saying that “today, in the daytime, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to strike Ukrainian port infrastructure and sea vessels involved in delivering military cargo to Ukraine,” and that as a result of the strikes a sea vessel of the tanker type was hit in the port of Yuzhny. [ 3 ]
Vedomosti, citing the ministry, also reported a strike on cargo trucks that were delivering military goods to Ukraine near the village of Maiaky in the Odesa region. The same outlet listed earlier Russian strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure, including an attack it dated to 5 September on a bulk carrier carrying supplies for Ukraine's armed forces, strikes on the port point of Vylkove and on fuel storage in the port of Chornomorsk, and a strike on an electricity substation at Kochetok in the Kharkiv region. [ 4 ]
Vedomosti further reported that on 4 October Russian forces destroyed an air-target detection radar station of the Ukrainian military and hit military warehouses and temporary deployment points in 147 districts. The documents do not state the outcome of the 6 October strike, any damage assessment, or any Ukrainian response. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The claim, issued by Russia's Defence Ministry and carried by Russian state and business outlets, describes an attack on shipping and port infrastructure used for military supply, a category of target Russian officials have said they strike repeatedly. The reports give no independent confirmation of the damage or of the cargo the vessel carried, and no Ukrainian response appears in the documents.
Key facts
- Russia's Defence Ministry said Russian forces struck a tanker in the port of Yuzhny with drones on 6 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ministry said the vessel was delivering fuel and lubricants intended for Ukraine's armed forces. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ministry said strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and on sea vessels used to deliver military cargo to Ukraine continued that day. [ 3 ]
- Vedomosti, citing the ministry, also reported a strike on cargo trucks delivering military goods near the village of Maiaky in the Odesa region. [ 4 ]
- Vedomosti reported that Russian forces had previously struck Ukrainian port infrastructure, including a bulk carrier, and an electricity substation and fuel storage facilities. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Damage to the tanker, its cargo and any casualties were not stated. None of the documents report the outcome of the strike or any assessment by Ukrainian authorities.
- The reported strike on cargo trucks near Maiaky in the Odesa region. Only one document, Vedomosti, carries this detail, attributing it to the Russian Defence Ministry.
- Vedomosti dates an earlier strike on Ukrainian port infrastructure to 5 September. The document gives that date without further explanation, and no other document covers the earlier strike.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that Russian forces struck a tanker in the port of Yuzhny. [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti reports the strike on a tanker delivering fuel and lubricants for Ukraine's armed forces. [ 2 ]
- Interfax quotes the Russian Defence Ministry saying drones struck a tanker in the port of Yuzhny. [ 3 ]
- Vedomosti reports the strike and adds a strike on cargo trucks near Maiaky in the Odesa region. [ 4 ]
- RBC reports the Defence Ministry's statement on the tanker strike. [ 5 ]