Russian tanker hit by Ukrainian drone begins to sink near oil terminal in Novoshakhtinsk
A Russian oil tanker hit by a Ukrainian drone began to sink near the marine terminal of Russia’s Novoshakhtinsky Oil Products Plant.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Militarnyi.
The tanker began to sink near the oil products terminal
Three days ago, on Dec. 15, Ukrainian forces had already struck this area, a fire then broke out about 850 metres from the tanker damaged in the current attack. The tanker itself was attacked on the night of Dec. 18. Rostov region governor Yuriy Slyusar reported damage to the vessel, as well as those killed and wounded among its crew.
In local public pages, eyewitnesses noted that the attack on the region was likely carried out using jet-powered drones.
According to eyewitnesses, after being hit the vessel began to go under: its stern was flooded almost up to the level of the superstructure. The strike area was quickly cordoned off, and the tanker itself was surrounded with containment booms. As a result of the attack, the wheelhouse and the hull were damaged; holes appeared in the engine room and the steering gear compartment, and a fire broke out.
What is known about the tanker
It later emerged that the tanker hit was the Valeriy Gorchakov, built in 1969. The vessel was originally built in Romania as a river dry cargo ship of Project 1565, but in 2004, it was converted into an oil tanker for transporting oil products of all classes.
The vessel is 138.8 metres long and 16.7 metres wide; its side height is 5.5 metres, and its draft is about 3 metres. The tanker’s deadweight is 5,100 tonnes. The owner is Volgo-Balt Service.
