Ukraine’s security services officially confirmed that their underwater drones successfully struck two tankers associated with Russia’s unofficial “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea.
These strike claims followed reports of detonations hitting the two vessels on both Friday and Saturday.
A source linked to Ukrainian security informed CNN that the operation, carried out jointly by the SBU and the navy, utilized Sea Baby maritime drones. Russia has yet to issue any immediate statement regarding the incidents.
The source further asserted that both tankers sustained catastrophic damage, rendering them effectively unusable. “This will inflict a considerable setback on Russian oil transport operations.”
Russia relies on hundreds of tankers, frequently sailing under various flag-of-convenience registrations, to export its oil in defiance of international sanctions.
Turkey’s Transport Ministry confirmed that the Gambian-registered tanker, Virat, was hit again on Saturday, having previously sustained damage the day before.
Turkish maritime authorities reported minor damage above the waterline and stated that no fire erupted. The vessel was situated roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the Turkish coastline. Tracking data indicated the ship began slowing and altering course toward the shore late on Friday.
The Turkish Transport Ministry stated there was “no request from the personnel to abandon the ship,” though a tugboat equipped for firefighting was dispatched to the location.
Expressing unease over the strikes, the Turkish foreign ministry noted the attacks “created significant hazards for navigational safety, human life, property, and environmental well-being in the area.”
The ultimate destination of the Virat remained uncertain, as shipping records indicated it was awaiting instructions in the Black Sea. The tanker had been sanctioned by the United States in January under a different name and later faced restrictions from the United Kingdom and the European Union this year.
Furthermore, on Friday, an explosion occurred on a separate vessel carrying Russian crude oil in a nearby section of the Black Sea. All 25 crew members aboard that tanker, identified as the Gambian-flagged Kairos, were successfully evacuated. Neither ship was within Turkish territorial waters when targeted.
Visual evidence showed Turkish tugboats working to control a substantial blaze aboard the ship, positioned approximately 30 miles from the Turkish coast. On Saturday, the Turkish Transport Ministry confirmed that the fire located on the open deck of the Kairos had been brought under control.
The Kairos is a large vessel, measuring 275 meters in length and weighing close to 80,000 tons. It was sanctioned by the EU earlier this year and had departed an Indian port this month, en route back to Russia’s Black Sea hub of Novorossiysk.
Earlier in the year, several untraced explosions impacted ships involved in transporting Russian oil from the Black Sea.
Both the Kairos and the Virat had recently navigated through the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea. Shipping data from Saturday confirmed that other sanctioned vessels carrying Russian crude were utilizing the same transit route.
Additionally, an assault involving a marine drone early Saturday targeted a mooring facility at the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea, as reported by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
This pipeline is responsible for transporting oil originating from Kazakhstan—passing through Russia—to international buyers. Kazakhstan’s Energy ministry announced it had “activated a plan to reroute export oil volumes via alternative channels” following the strike.
Novorossiysk has previously been targeted by Ukrainian drones on numerous occasions. CNN has reached out to Ukraine’s security services seeking comment on the latest events.
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