A Ukrainian drone struck a tanker as it was entering the Azov-Black Sea Canal, Yury Slyusar, governor of Russia’s Rostov region, said yesterday.

The fire caused by the attack has been brought under control and there was no risk of an oil spill because the vessel was empty, Slyusar said on messaging app Telegram, adding that there were no casualties.

The Ukrainian military has recently attacked more than 40 Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov as part of what Ukraine describes as a campaign aimed at disrupting fuel supplies to Russian forces and isolating Moscow-occupied Crimea.

Ukraine’s military yesterday hit an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region overnight.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on logistics and energy infrastructure in Crimea in recent weeks, contributing to fuel shortages and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in the peninsula.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday he had proposed replacing Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

“I am grateful to Yuliia for her clear, steady, and effective work as Prime Minister, for her years of productive service on Ukraine’s team, and I have offered her the opportunity to lead a new and important area of relations with a key partner,” Zelensky said on X.

“I expect that, together with MPs, we will make the corresponding changes in the Government of Ukraine,” he added.

Zelensky said the government changes were needed to “ensure the implementation of an updated political strategy”, but gave no further details.