Russia-Ukraine war spreads to the MED as Kyiv strikes ‘shadow fleet’ tanker with drones
Kiev announced today that Ukraine hit a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker with unmanned aerial vehicles for the first time in the Mediterranean.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine said the cargo ship was hit by a ‘new, unprecedented special operation’ while sailing at an undisclosed location approximately 1,243 miles from Ukraine’s borders.
The attack on the empty ship named Qendil was a first in the Mediterranean.
The source claimed that the tanker suffered ‘critical damage and cannot be used for its intended purpose’.
Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine published dramatic footage that allegedly showed the tanker being hit with explosives.
Russia’s shadow fleet, estimated to number up to 1,000 unidentified ships that change flags frequently, has enabled Moscow to continue exporting crude oil for much-needed revenue despite restrictions on exports.
Experts and some European leaders also believe that some ships are being used by Russia to wage hybrid warfare across the continent.
It was stated that the attack would be interpreted as a great shame, as announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the year-end press conference held in Moscow.
The cargo ship was sailing at an undisclosed location, approximately 1,243 miles from Ukraine’s borders
Hit by ‘a new, unprecedented special operation’
The attack on the empty ship Qendil was the first in the Mediterranean
The source said the cargo ship was empty at the time of the attack and there was no environmental threat from the operation.
However, the source did not provide further details about the attack, including how the SBU deployed a UAV in the Mediterranean, where it was launched from, or which countries the UAVs might have flown over.
The source said the tanker was used to circumvent Western sanctions and finance Russia’s war chest, and claimed the attack was an ‘absolutely legitimate target’.
“The enemy must understand that Ukraine will not stop and will hit them wherever they are in the world,” the source said.
Kiev, which has been fending off Russia’s invasion for nearly four years, claimed that similar attacks were carried out on Russian-linked tankers on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast after two empty oil tankers were hit by explosions.
The SBU confirmed the hit in its statement: ‘For the first time, the SBU hit a tanker belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean.’
This followed three Russian FSB border guards allegedly crossing the line of control between Russian and Estonian territory from a breakwater on the Narva River near the village of Vasknarva.
The soldiers, seen moving through the fog in grainy images, arrived in a security service flying vehicle and advanced on foot along the river barrier.
They then returned to their planes and returned to Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during his annual year-end press conference and telephone conversation in Moscow, Russia, on December 19, 2025
Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Taro condemned the incident.
‘The illegal border crossing has been documented and we have the video from the security camera that detected the crossing,’ he said.
‘There was no immediate security threat, but [Estonian] ‘police and border guards have significantly increased their presence and patrols.’
This is breaking news and there will be more to come.
