AFP
Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of launching drones that struck a Greek-owned oil tanker off its coast in the Black Sea a day earlier, the latest in a series of similar incidents in the region.
On Tuesday, Athens said drones had hit two Greek-owned oil tankers, the Matilda and Delta Harmony, one of which was scheduled to load Kazakh oil on Russia’s coast."The tanker Matilda, sailing under the flag of Malta, was attacked by two Ukrainian attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Anapa in the Krasnodar region," the Russian defense ministry said on Telegram.
It did not mention the Delta Harmony in its statement and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv on Russia’s allegations.
Ukraine has been targeting Russian energy facilities with drone strikes in retaliation for Moscow’s nearly four-year all-out offensive that has killed tens of thousands and ravaged swathes of Ukrainian territory.
Kazakhstan and Greece both condemned the attack in separate statements Wednesday.
The Kazakh foreign ministry expressed "serious concern" over the attacks, "against three tankers en route to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Black Sea."
"The increasing frequency of such incidents highlights the growing risks to the functioning of international energy infrastructure," it said in a statement.
Greece also condemned the strikes and said its foreign minister would discuss them with European partners.
On Tuesday, Athens said drones had hit two Greek-owned oil tankers, the Matilda and Delta Harmony, one of which was scheduled to load Kazakh oil on Russia’s coast."The tanker Matilda, sailing under the flag of Malta, was attacked by two Ukrainian attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Anapa in the Krasnodar region," the Russian defense ministry said on Telegram.
It did not mention the Delta Harmony in its statement and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv on Russia’s allegations.
Ukraine has been targeting Russian energy facilities with drone strikes in retaliation for Moscow’s nearly four-year all-out offensive that has killed tens of thousands and ravaged swathes of Ukrainian territory.
Kazakhstan and Greece both condemned the attack in separate statements Wednesday.
The Kazakh foreign ministry expressed "serious concern" over the attacks, "against three tankers en route to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Black Sea."
"The increasing frequency of such incidents highlights the growing risks to the functioning of international energy infrastructure," it said in a statement.
Greece also condemned the strikes and said its foreign minister would discuss them with European partners.
