Ukrainian drones hit a tanker in the southern Russian port of Rostov-on-Don, killing and injuring a number of people and sparking a fire, the city's mayor was quoted as saying early on Thursday.
"Emergency teams are extinguishing the fire on the tanker that was struck while docked in a drone attack," Russian news agencies quoted Skriabin as saying.
"A leak of oil products was avoided. Unfortunately, there are dead and injured."
Regional governor Yuri Slyusar had initially reported the Ukrainian strike on the vessel in the port and the casualties among the ship's crew.
Slyusar also said parts of a high-rise apartment block under construction were damaged in the city and two private homes burned down in a nearby town.
(Reuters - Reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese and Muralikumar Anantharaman)