Russian authorities say Ukrainian armed forces attacked a railway ferry with fuel tankers , which was located in the port of Kavkaz in the Krasnodar Territory. According to the Regional Operations Headquarters, a fire broke out at the site, the BBC reports.
Local Telegram channels published photos showing a large column of smoke over the port of Kavkaz.
"Emergency and special services are on site. The area of the fire and the information about the victims are being clarified," the operational headquarters said in a statement.
Traffic on the Crimean bridge is blocked.
According to the Mash Telegram channel, the Ukrainian military may have fired a Storm Shadow cruise missile at the port and it hit the ferry "Aquatrader" carrying fuel. At the same time, a source from the SHOT telegram channel claimed that it was a "Neptune" missile that hit the "Conroe Trader" ferry. There is no official confirmation of this information.
Ukraine does not comment on the information about the attack on Kavkaz port.
Cavkaz port provides an important ferry link to the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
In July, Ukrainian forces have already carried out several attacks against the port of Kavkaz, as a result of which the railway ferry Slavyanin was damaged.
British Military Intelligence says Slavyanin remains the only rail ferry on the route and has been returned to service after the previous two were damaged in Ukrainian strikes on May 29.
"Slavic" was transporting liquefied petroleum gas, British intelligence believes.
His summary states that following the Ukrainian attacks on the port of Kavkaz, Russia will be forced to transport fuel to Crimea via the Crimean Bridge.