MOSCOW: Russia said on Wednesday that it had foiled a Ukrainian attack on one of its ships in Turkish waters with unmanned boats, the latest sabotage attempt attack Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said that “today at 5:30 am (0230 GMT), the Ukrainian military failed to attack the Ivan Khurs warship of the Black Sea Fleet with 3 unmanned vessels.
It added that the Russian warship had been tasked with safeguarding pipeline infrastructure in Turkish economic waters.
The statement said that all 3 enemy vessels had been destroyed and that the attack took place about 140 kilometres northeast of the Bosphorus.
The defence ministry added that the Ivan Khurs of the Black Sea Fleet is working on completing its mission. Ankara did not immediately respond to Moscow’s claims.
Russian aircraft and warships have been involved in many incidents in the Black Sea since Moscow started its large-scale aggression against Ukraine in February last year.
Russian Plane Clash with US Drone
In March, a US army drone crashed after an incident involving a Russian plane over the Black Sea.
The confrontation heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow and resulted in a rare phone call between senior officials of both countries.
Russian Black Sea fleet’s flagship, the Moskva, sank in April 2022 after what the Kremlin said was an explosion on board. But Ukraine said its military hit it with missiles.
Ukraine and Russia last July agreed to allow the former to export grain through 3 Black Sea ports that Russian warships and mines had blocked.
