A Ukrainian missile attack on southern Russia's Krasnodar region sunk a railway ferry, regional authorities said Thursday afternoon.
"The Kyiv regime carried out another terrorist attack on the territory of the Krasnodar region," authorities wrote on social media. "A railway ferry carrying fuel tanks to Port Kavkaz was hit."
Officials said emergency responders were already at the scene of the strike at Port Kavkaz — one of the country’s largest passenger ports, connecting mainland Russia with annexed Crimea via rail and ferry lines.
Ukraine's Navy later took responsibility for the attack, saying that Port Kavkaz is a critical logistics hub for supplying invading Russian forces with fuel.
Videos shared on social media showed large flames and a column of black smoke rising from what was said to be Port Kavkaz. Eyewitnesses reported hearing powerful explosions in the area.
Russia's Emergency Situations later said 17 people were saved from the wreckage of the railway ferry, while one person was still missing as of Friday morning. Transportation authorities said the Kerch ferry crossing was "termproarily out of service" following the attack.
Last month, at least one person was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack at Port Kavkaz. In May, Ukraine fired missiles at the port's oil terminal as part of a larger effort to disrupt Russian logistics in annexed Crimea.
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