Ukraine Claims Responsibility for Attack on Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”

An image released on November 28 shows flames and thick smoke rising from an oil tanker following explosions that targeted two vessels belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea.

According to Rokna, citing CNN, the report continues: According to an official from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Ukrainian underwater drones struck two oil tankers belonging to what is described as Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea.

Ukraine assumed responsibility for the attacks after explosions on Friday and Saturday targeted the two ships.

A Ukrainian security source told CNN that “Sea Baby” naval drones were used in a joint operation carried out by the SBU and the Navy. Russia has not yet responded to the incident.

The source said both tankers had sustained critical damage and were effectively rendered out of service. He added: “This will deliver a significant blow to Russia’s oil transport.”

Russia uses hundreds of oil tankers—many flying the flags of various countries to evade sanctions—to transport its oil to customers.

The Virat tanker, sailing under the Gambian flag, was targeted again on Saturday after having first been damaged on Friday, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Transport.

Turkish maritime authorities said minor damage above the waterline had occurred and no fire was reported. The vessel is located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the Turkish coast. Tracking data shows its movement has slowed and that it changed course toward the coast late Friday.

Turkey’s Ministry of Transport stated: “There has been no request from the crew to abandon the vessel,” but a firefighting tugboat has been dispatched to the scene.

The destination of the Virat was unclear. Shipping data indicated the vessel was awaiting orders in the Black Sea. The tanker was sanctioned by the United States in January, when operating under a different name, and was subsequently sanctioned this year by the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Also on Friday, in a nearby area, an explosion occurred aboard another ship carrying Russian crude oil in the Black Sea. All 25 crew members of the Kairos tanker, also sailing under the Gambian flag, were evacuated. Neither of the two ships was in Turkish waters at the time of the attacks.

Video footage showed Turkish tugboats battling extensive flames on the ship roughly 30 miles off the Turkish coast. On Saturday, Turkey’s Ministry of Transport announced that the fire on the open deck of the Kairos had been extinguished.

The Kairos, measuring 275 meters in length and weighing nearly 80,000 tons, was sanctioned earlier this year by the European Union. It had left an Indian port earlier this month to return to the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.

Several unexplained explosions occurred earlier this year aboard ships transporting Russian oil from the Black Sea.

Both the Virat and the Kairos had passed through the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea. According to maritime data on Saturday, other vessels sanctioned for transporting Russian crude were also traveling along the same route.