Russia suspends ferry service to Crimea after Ukrainian port attack By Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has suspended ferry service between southern Russia and Crimea after a Ukrainian attack the previous day hit a ship loaded with railcars carrying fuel, Russia’s Transport Ministry said on Friday.

The Ukrainian navy said on Friday it had destroyed a ferry at Port Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region, one of Russia’s biggest Black Sea outlets, which it said was being used to deliver fuel and weapons to Crimea. which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine. in 2014.

The Russian Transport Ministry said in a statement that the ferry service to Crimea was temporarily suspended while the clearing work took place.

It said an alternative land route could be used to send goods to Crimea in the meantime.

State news agency RIA, citing emergency crews, said a fire started by the Ukrainian attack “virtually” did not affect the port’s infrastructure, but that the ferry struck by Ukraine was half submerged.

Local authorities earlier said it had sunk.

The ferry was carrying 30 railcars loaded with fuel, according to Fyodor Babenkov, the district chief of the city of Temryuk, which includes the port.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Thursday that 17 people had been rescued after the attack and that one person had not been found.