Ukraine hits Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tankers in Black Sea

Ukrainian naval drones have targeted two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, signaling an escalation in Kyiv’s efforts to disrupt Moscow’s war funding.

The tankers, identified by Turkish authorities as the Kairos and Virat—both Gambian-flagged—were struck off the Turkish coast on Friday, with the Virat reportedly hit again on Saturday. No casualties were reported.

BBC-verified footage shows waterborne drones speeding toward the vessels before detonating, sending flames and thick black smoke into the air. Both ships are part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of aging tankers used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The targeted vessels are on lists of sanctioned ships according to London Stock Exchange data.

Sources told BBC Ukrainian that Ukraine deployed Sea Baby naval drones, produced by its security services (SBU). Turkish authorities assisted the vessels, releasing footage of boats attempting to extinguish the fire on the Kairos.

The attacks are widely seen as a warning to any ship transporting Russian oil in the Black Sea, suggesting they may face direct strikes in addition to sanctions. Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium halted oil loading in Novorossiysk after an overnight unmanned boat attack caused significant damage to a mooring point. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Western firms including ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell are stakeholders in the consortium.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a delegation led by security official Rustem Umerov is en route to the United States to continue negotiations aimed at ending the war. Umerov succeeds chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who resigned following an anti-corruption investigation. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet U.S. officials in Florida, while former U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, will conduct talks in Moscow next week.