Phone footage of the damaged Russian oil tanker SIG, which was struck earlier this month by a Ukrainian naval drone. My professional opinion is that ships are not supposed to look like this. This will not buff out, and it will take more than Bondo to fix. The hole in the side of the vessel is 8x8 meters, large enough to drive a small car through. After the blast water flooded the engine room, rendering the vessel dead in the water.

Tensions have escalated in the Black Sea in the aftermath of the expiration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, with Russia launching strikes against Ukrainian ports and Ukraine attacking the Kerch Strait Bridge as well as Russian naval ships and civilian vessels. Attacks against Ukrainian grain ports and the reduction of Ukrainian grain exports have caused an increase in global grain prices and placed significant regions of the developing world at heightened risk of food insecurity.

The decision to target a Russian civilian oil tanker was a clever move by Ukraine. Had they taken a “tit for tat” approach and targeted Russian grain shipments, this would have further exacerbated the global food crisis. By targeting Russian petroleum exports, Ukraine is directly disrupting a major source of revenue by disabling the ship, while also increasing the cost of exporting oil and making future shipments more difficult by increasing the risks taken by maritime insurance underwriters. Ukraine does not even have to attack that many ships, for simply the possibility of attack will cause insurance underwriters to raise premiums or withdraw coverage all together.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.