At least three people, including two crew members of a cargo ship, were killed after Ukrainian drones struck the southern Russian port of Rostov-on-Don and the nearby town of Bataysk overnight, regional authorities said on Thursday.

The attack hit a tanker that was docked at the port of Rostov-on-Don, causing a fire on board the vessel. Local officials said emergency services responded quickly and managed to extinguish the fire.

Authorities also confirmed that a leak of oil products from the tanker was avoided, preventing further damage at the port.

Regional governor Yuri Slyusar initially reported that the drone strike on the port had resulted in casualties among the ship’s crew.

The head of Rostov-on-Don, Alexander Skryabin, later said that emergency teams were continuing firefighting operations and acknowledged that the incident had caused both deaths and injuries.

In Bataysk, located close to Rostov-on-Don, one person was killed and seven others were injured after drones struck residential areas.

According to the regional administration, two private homes caught fire during the attack. The fires were later brought under control.

Officials also said that parts of a high-rise apartment building under construction in Rostov-on-Don were damaged due to the drone strikes. No further casualties were reported at the construction site.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine over attacks on maritime and civilian infrastructure.

Both sides have accused each other of deliberately targeting civilian vessels. Earlier this month, Ukrainian attacks reportedly damaged three tankers linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet that were heading to export Russian oil.

Following those incidents, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could take steps to cut Ukraine off from the sea.

Reference: Reuters