Russian officials say Ukraine has launched missile attacks on three gas rigs in the Black Sea south of Odesa, amid a significant escalation of Kyiv's attempts to undermine its maritime dominance.
Seven people were missing and three injured after the attack, according to Moscow -controlled Crimea governor Sergey Aksyonov, who said rescue operations with the participation of patrol boats and flights were underway.
This is the first reported attack on offshore energy infrastructure in Crimea since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Three offshore platforms, the Boyko tower, were previously seized by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014. Kyiv believes it was used for military reconnaissance and helped strengthen control over much of the Black Sea.
There was no immediate official confirmation from Ukraine about the attack, although a Ukrainian lawmaker from Odesa region, Oleksiy Goncharenko, said early in the morning that missiles had been fired onto the rig.
The attack on the platform also marked a further attempt by Ukraine to reach the Black Sea, coming three days after it had destroyed a Russian tugboat near Snake Island using the Harpoon missile system from the West.
