Ukraine Hits Another Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Black Sea

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a new naval-drone strike on a Russian-linked tanker operating in the Black Sea, targeting what Kyiv describes as Moscow’s expanding “shadow fleet” used to transport sanctioned oil.

A Ukrainian security source told AFP on Wednesday that Kyiv’s naval drones struck the Dashan oil tanker, sailing under the Comoros flag, and that the vessel “suffered critical damage.”
The tanker was identified by Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR) as part of Russia’s covert transport network that seeks to evade international sanctions.

The incident marks the latest escalation in Ukraine’s maritime campaign. Last month, Kyiv acknowledged similar strikes on two Russia-linked tankers off Türkiye’s northern Black Sea coast—operations that prompted Ankara to summon the ambassadors of both Russia and Ukraine, warning that such attacks amounted to a “worrying escalation” near its territorial waters.

The attack on the Dashan follows a series of Ukrainian naval-drone operations carried out on Nov. 29, 2025, targeting tankers accused of ferrying sanctioned Russian oil.

According to a senior source in Ukraine’s SBU security service, modernised Sea Baby drones struck two vessels—the Virat and the Kairos—in separate nighttime operations.
Video released by Ukrainian security bodies showed drones skimming across the water before detonating against the hulls of the tankers.

Turkish authorities later confirmed both incidents.
The Kairos, sailing under a Gambian flag, caught fire 28 nautical miles off Kocaeli, while the Firat (identified by Ukraine as Virat) suffered an engine-room blast 35 nautical miles offshore.
Rescue teams evacuated all 25 crew members from the Kairos and 20 from the Firat, with no casualties reported.

Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport described the fires as resulting from “external factors”, saying the damage was consistent with strikes from a mine, missile, drone, or unmanned watercraft.

The attacks are part of Kyiv’s strategy to undermine Moscow’s energy revenues. Ukrainian officials insist the targeted tankers were operating as part of Russia’s sanctions-evading network, and are under Western restrictions for handling illicit oil shipments.

The Black Sea has become an increasingly dangerous theater since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to drifting sea mines, NATO members Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria established a joint mine-countermeasures task group in 2024 to manage the growing maritime hazards.

But the direct targeting of commercial tankers represents a new dimension. Unlike passive mine threats, Ukraine’s Sea Baby drone strikes extend the conflict into international waters—bringing heightened risks near a NATO member’s coastline.

Türkiye, which controls the Bosphorus Strait and maintains relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has stressed the importance of regional stability and the safety of civilian shipping lanes.

Ukraine’s latest strike on the Dashan underscores its widening maritime campaign to disrupt Russia’s sanctions-bypassing oil operations.
With previous attacks prompting diplomatic concern in Ankara and requiring large-scale emergency responses from Turkish authorities, the Black Sea remains a flashpoint where economic warfare, regional security, and geopolitical diplomacy intersect.