ATHENS, August 18. /TASS/. Two more Greek vessels were attacked in the Black Sea following the August 16 drone strike against the Skiros tanker shortly after it was loaded at the port of Novorossiysk, the Proto Thema newspaper reported.

According to the newspaper, the Liberian-flagged ANNA S Greek vessel was hit by a shell in the Black Sea some 20 nautical miles from Novorossiysk late on August 17. It was also struck by drones five times. The vessel belonging to Neptune Tradebulk Inc. was completely destroyed by a fire that followed an explosion.

It is yet unknown whether the ship is sinking or is still on the surface. At the moment of the attack, the vessel was heading empty to Novorossiysk to be loaded with grain. There were 21 crew members - 20 Philippine sailors and a Romanian captain - onboard. All of them evacuated from the ship and were rescued by another Greek vessel, the Elina B, which happened to be nearby.

Some five hours later, the Elina B was also attacked by drones but continued moving at a velocity of 9.5 knots toward a Turkish port. A shipping agent told the newspaper that there was concern in the shipping industry because the drones were targeting not the cargo but the living quarters where the crew was staying.

The incident has added to concerns about the safety of commercial navigation near Novorossiysk, one of Russia’s major grain and energy exports hubs. The ANNA S was on a commercial voyage to deliver grain, according to Proto Thema.

The Greek television channel Skai reported earlier that a Ukrainian drone struck the Greek tanker Skiros in the Black Sea after it had loaded oil at the port of Novorossiysk on August 16. It suggested that the attack was carried out by a drone operated by the Ukrainian authorities, who have recently carried out similar attacks on tankers loaded with oil from this Russian port. According to the Skiros’ Greek operator, no one was hurt in the incident and no oil leaks were reported.