Ukrainian naval drones strike two Russian oil tankers in Black Sea | Ukraine
Ukrainian navy drones hit two tankers operating under sanctions in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load oil destined for foreign markets, an official said Saturday, as Kiev sought to put pressure on Russia’s vast oil industry.
An official from Ukraine’s security service told Reuters that two oil tankers identified as Kairos and Virat were empty and were heading to Novorossiysk, one of Russia’s major oil terminals in the Black Sea.
Video footage shared by the official showed navy unmanned aerial vehicles speeding towards giant tankers, followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the ships.
Reuters could not independently verify the identity of the tankers in the clips or the location and date of the footage.
“The video shows that after being hit, both tankers suffered critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official said in a written statement.
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries for months and using long-range aerial drones to strike far behind the front lines of Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The attacks on tankers represent a different kind of attack. Kiev has repeatedly called on the West to take real action against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which the Ukrainian government says helps Moscow export large amounts of oil and finance its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions. The fleet of hundreds of obsolete, uncontrolled ships rose to prominence after Russia invaded Ukraine, bypassing Western sanctions aimed at reducing Moscow’s oil revenue.
Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which processes more than 1% of global oil, said on Saturday it had halted operations after its anchorage at Russia’s Black Sea terminal was significantly damaged by a Ukrainian navy drone strike.
We mainly export CPC from Russia and Kazakhstan via the Black Sea terminal. Kazakhstan called the attack unacceptable.
Navy drones are uncrewed speedboats packed with explosives that cruise toward their targets before detonating. They played a key role in Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Black Sea and helped push back Russia’s large fleet of warships.
The Ministry of Transport said that the 274-meter-long Kairos tanker exploded and caught fire on its way from Egypt to Russia on Friday. It was stated that the crew was evacuated with rescue boats and efforts to extinguish the fire continue.
Virat was shot further east in the Black Sea, about 35 nautical miles off the coast, the ministry said. The ministry added that the ship was attacked again by unmanned vessels on Saturday, causing minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline. It was stated that the condition of the ship is stable and the health of the crew is good.
Both Kairos and Virat are on the list of ships subject to sanctions imposed on Russia after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to LSEG data.
Türkiye expressed concern about the attacks, saying the incidents occurred in its exclusive economic zone and posed serious security risks.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli, in his post on the X channel, said that Ankara is in contact with the relevant parties in order to prevent the war from spreading to the Black Sea and to protect the country’s economic interests and operations in the region.
The Ukrainian official did not say when the Ukrainian attacks took place.
No public statement was made from Russia.
