A Russian oil tanker hit by drones near Rostov-on-Don continues to sink, with new photos showing significant submersion of the vessel’s stern. The drone attack on the Valery Gorchakov days ago reportedly left two crew members dead and three more wounded.
Russian tanker keeps sinking after drone strike
The Valery Gorchakov oil tanker was attacked by drones on 18 December while near the maritime terminal of the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant. The strike caused the ship to begin taking on water. The vessel caught fire during the drone strike and that two crew members died while three others were injured.
By the morning of that day, its stern had started submerging. The damaged vessel was surrounded only by containment booms. There was no visible sign of rescue or salvage operations near the site. The only response visible was the rapid placement of containment booms around the damaged tanker.
Drones hit Russian oil tanker ablaze in Rostov-on-Don port, the ship is sinking (UPDATED, MAP)
New photos published by the Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymsky Veter on 21 December evening show the vessel’s current condition, with the stern almost completely underwater.
The Valery Gorchakov was originally built in 1969 as a dry cargo ship. In 2004, it was converted into an oil tanker capable of transporting all classes of oil products.
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