Ukrainian Naval Drones Hit Sanctioned Tanker MARQUISE

Two Ukrainian surface drones hit the sanctioned tanker MARQUISE, which was sailing under the flag of Cameroon.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted the operation.

At the time of the strike, the vessel was drifting 210 km southeast of the Russian city of Tuapse.

“The vessel was drifting without an AIS signal and was probably waiting to be loaded at sea from another vessel,” the General Staff reported.

AIS is an automatic identification system used in shipping to identify vessels and determine their dimensions, course, and other data.

The naval drones hit the stern, in the area of the propeller-rudder assembly and engine room.

The tanker MARQUISE is subject to sanctions imposed by Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Canada, and was used by the Russian side to transport petroleum products illegally.