Ukrainian MP denies second sea drone target was commercial ship
Sky News has been speaking to Ukrainian MP for Podilsk, Oleksiy Goncharenko, who was asked about the sea drone attack on the Russian tanker near the Kerch Bridge to Crimea overnight.
According to reports the St Petersburg-owned SIG tanker has been used to transport fuel since it was built in 2014.
But Mr Goncharenko says it’s “not a commercial ship” and instead one commissioned by the Russian Navy to transport fuel to Syria, Russia and Crimea, which is why it was sanctioned by the US in 2019.
He insisted that there has been no official confirmation the attack was the result of a Ukrainian drone – although security sources have said they are taking responsibility.
Mr Goncharenko, who represents a seat in Odessa on the Black Sea coast, spoke along similar lines to intelligence expert Louise Jones (see 11.30am post), that the attack on commercial interests is designed to target the Russian people – as well as the regime in Moscow.