Ukraine has rejected Russian claims that a drone struck the Russian-flagged tanker MIDVOLGA-2 in the Black Sea on Tuesday, calling the accusations illogical and suggesting the incident may have been staged by Moscow.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said Kyiv “has nothing to do” with the alleged attack and “officially refutes any allegations of this kind made by Russian propaganda.” He questioned the vessel’s reported route from Russia toward Georgia across Türkiye’s exclusive economic zone, calling it “nonsensical” and possibly indicative of a fabricated incident.

Russia’s River and Sea Transport Agency earlier reported that the tanker was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle at around 8:00 am local time (05:00 GMT). According to the agency, the vessel sustained minor structural damage but did not take on water and continued under its own power toward the Turkish port of Sinop, with no injuries among the 13 crew members.

Türkiye’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs confirmed the tanker had reported an attack approximately 80 nautical miles off the country’s Black Sea coast before proceeding safely to Sinop.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Black Sea, with Kyiv and Moscow trading accusations over attacks on shipping and maritime infrastructure in the region.

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