SIMFEROPOL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2023) Russian oil tanker Sig has suffered a hull breach in the southern part of the Kerch Strait as a result of an attack by, presumably, a maritime drone, there is no threat of the ship sinking, the crew was not injured, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center of the city of Novorossiysk told Sputnik on Saturday.
"There are no changes, it (the ship) is still floating. The crew is aboard. Two tugboats are placing booms alongside (the tanker). The breach is at the waterline, near the engine room. The water has already stopped coming in," the center said, adding that there was no oil spill in the water area.
The Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport said that the damaged tanker is located in the southern part of the Kerch Strait, at the entrance to the strait.
The agency added that the ship was afloat, and the water was being pumped out from it. The agency noted that the ship suffered the haul breach as a result of an attack by, presumably, a maritime drone. Rescue operations on the tanker were completed at night, at the moment, repair and recovery work is underway, the agency said.
