Ukraine confirms sinking of Russian ferry in Kerch Strait

Ukraine's navy has confirmed the sinking of a Russian ferry called the Conro Trader at the Kavkaz port in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on Aug. 22.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Aug. 23, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, said the vessel was used to transport fuel and weapons to Russian forces.

"Therefore, this is a completely legitimate target," he said.

Pletenchuk did not specify which weapons were used in the attack.

The Kavkaz port, located on the Chushka Spit in the Kerch Strait, is one of Russia's largest passenger ports. Its main task is to serve the Kerch ferry crossing in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The Crimean Wind Telegram channel on Aug. 22 published photos and videos showing smoke rising over the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Krai.

Soon after the attack, the ferry in a Russian port sank, local Russian authorities reported, adding there were 30 fuel tankers onboard at the moment of the strike.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea as well as neighboring Krasnodar Krai. Kyiv has struck ferry crossings between occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar Krai several times.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in early August that Ukraine is working on a "complex solution" that could destroy the illegally constructed Kerch Bridge in the coming months.

Pletenchuk said in June that destroying the Kerch Bridge now would not have the same effect because Russia barely uses it for military purposes anymore.

The bridge accounts for less than a quarter of the total transiting cargo, and for the rest, Russia uses a ferry crossing in Kerch, Pletenchuk said.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk