An explosion aboard the Eco Wizard tanker in Russia's Ust-Luga port caused an ammonia leak and is under investigation, the Russian Transportation Ministry announced on July 6.

Explosions have damaged five tankers at Russian ports since the beginning of the year.

The Russian Transportation Ministry alleged that "a minor leak of liquid ammonia" occurred at the Ust-Luga seaport in Leningrad Oblast due to "an incident" while unloading and loading the Eco Wizard tanker.

According to the Russian Telegram news channel Baza, "an explosion of an unknown nature" preceded the leak.

The ship's 23-person crew was evacuated and port emergency services are working on site to eliminate the consequences. Loading operations were stopped and emergency rescue services put on high alert. Russian Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit held a meeting on the incident and a diving inspection of the vessel is planned.

No casualties have been reported.

The Eco Wizard tanker arrived in Ust-Luga from Antwerp, Belgium on July 3, according to ship-tracking data from VesselFinder. The vessel was built in 2024 to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and flies the flag of the Marshall Islands.

The vessel is suspected to belong to Russia's "shadow fleet," a group of tankers Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions.

A week prior to the Eco Wizard explosion, a blast occurred on the shadow fleet tanker Vilamoura shortly after it visited Russian ports. The ship was carrying 1 million barrels of oil at the time of the explosion.

The Eco Wizard is the sixth tanker linked to Russia to have suffered an explosion since the start of this year.

Ukraine war latest: Drones attack Russia’s Black Sea Fleet; Russian pipelines explode in country’s Far East, HUR says

Key developments on July 5-6: * Drones reportedly attack Russia’s Black Sea fleet * Pipelines supplying Russian military explode in Russia’s Far East, HUR source says * Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft * Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says * Ukraine’s army chief warns of new Russian offensives in northeast as he visits Kharkiv Oblast front Drones attacked Russia’s Black Sea Fleet at the

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Ukraine is moving closer to NATO even without formal membership. Two Ukrainian mine countermeasure vessels, Cherkasy and Chernihiv, have passed the Alliance’s Level 1 certification, Ukraine’s Naval Forces report. 

“We still have to move forward with our naval fleet, but we are developing rapidly, even amid war,” says Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa.

The Maritime Capability Coalition, launched under the leadership of the UK and Norway, has already united 19 countries to help turn Ukraine’s Armed Forces into a naval force in Europe.

One of Ukraine’s most ambitious projects is the construction of Corvette-class ships. However, it is a technically and financially complex challenge: building one vessel takes 3 to 6 years, and another 1 to 2 years are needed for full combat integration.

“This is a major challenge for Ukraine, considering the war and limited budget. Some criticize these decisions, but the future of our fleet is strong, and it is already taking shape,” Neizhpapa explains.

Ukraine also proudly boasts the largest Marine Corps in Europe, which has already proven its effectiveness on the front lines.

“It’s important that our partners see how we fight at sea and learn from our experience,” concludes the Navy Commander.

Earlier, Ukraine upgraded its sea-based Katran drone with strike capabilities reaching targets up to 100 kilometers away, according to Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence.

The unmanned vessel, originally designed as a kamikaze platform, evolved into a strategic multi-role system capable of deep and extended operations. The drone can operate for up to six days on water and reach targets as far as 3000 kilometers, nearly tripling the publicly stated range of 1,000 kilometers that had been reported back in March.