Russian oil tanker hit by Ukrainian drones in the Kerch Strait
According to Russian media, a Russian tanker was hit by Ukrainian drones in the Kerch Strait amidst increasing tensions in the Black Sea. Follow the latest developments of the war in Ukraine hour by hour.
Saudi Arabia sees itself as a mediator with a meeting on Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia is hosting a meeting on Ukraine starting from Saturday, in another attempt to assert its international power, although expectations for the results of this peace initiative remain limited.
The petro-monarchy announced on Friday evening the arrival of “security advisors from brotherly countries” to discuss the “Ukrainian crisis” during this two-day meeting in Jeddah, on the Red Sea, without revealing the names of the participating states.
This meeting, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), reflects the “readiness of the kingdom to exercise a mediation mission to contribute to finding a solution that will lead to a permanent peace.”
4:46 am: Russian tanker damaged by Ukrainian drones
A Russian tanker was hit by Ukrainian drones in the Kerch Strait, briefly interrupting traffic on the strategic bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, according to Russian media reports.
The ship was damaged and two tugs arrived at the scene, as stated by the Russian news agency TASS, citing the Maritime Rescue Center. Several crew members were injured by glass fragments during the attack, said an official named by Russia in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia, Vladimir Rogov, on Telegram.
Traffic on the bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow, to Russia was suspended for three hours before resuming early Saturday morning, according to the highway information center.
Summary of August 4th:
The Ukrainian army launched an attack in the Black Sea against the naval base of Novorossiysk using two naval drones, which were destroyed, said the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday. The Ukrainian security services stated that the attack was “successful”. In addition, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is already imprisoned, was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison for “extremism”.
AFP and Reuters
