Ukraine hits two Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tankers with naval drones

Ukrainian naval drones struck two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load oil destined for foreign markets, an official said Saturday, as Kiev tries to put pressure on Russia's vast oil industry.

The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and the Virat, were empty and sailing towards Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil terminal on the Black Sea, the official at Ukraine's Security Service told Reuters.

Naval drones could be seen speeding towards large tankers, followed by powerful explosions that set off fires on the ship, video footage shared by the official showed.

Reuters could not independently verify the identities 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 put 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, using long-range aerial drones to strike far from the front lines of Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine. The tanker attacks 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 is helping Moscow export large amounts of oil and finance its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.

The fleet of hundreds of ships, often old and unregulated, became famous after Russia invaded Ukraine, bypassing Western sanctions aimed at cutting Moscow's oil revenues.

Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which handles more than 1% of global oil, said on Saturday it had halted operations after a berth at the Russian Black Sea terminal was significantly damaged by a Ukrainian naval drone attack.

CPC exports mainly from Kazakhstan via Russia and the Black Sea terminal. Kazakhstan called the attack unacceptable.

SHIPS ARE ON THE SANCTIONS LIST

Naval drones are unmanned, high-speed vessels packed with explosives that cruise towards their targets before detonating. They played a prominent role in Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Black Sea, helping to repel Russia's large fleet of warships.

The 274-meter-long Kairos tanker suffered an explosion and caught fire on Friday while en route from Egypt to Russia, Turkey's Transport Ministry said. The crew was evacuated by rescue ships while efforts to put out the fire continued, it said.

The Virat was reportedly hit about 35 nautical miles offshore, further east in the Black Sea, the ministry said. The ship was attacked again on Saturday by unmanned craft, suffering minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline, the ministry added. It said the ship was in stable condition and the crew in good health.

Both Kairos and Virat are on a list of ships subject to sanctions imposed against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to LSEG data.

Turkey expressed concern about the attacks, saying the incidents occurred in its Exclusive Economic Zone and posed serious security risks.

Ankara is in contact with relevant parties to prevent the spread of war in the Black Sea and to protect the country's economic interests and operations in the region, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Oncu Keceli said in a post on X.

The Ukrainian official did not say when the Ukrainian attacks occurred.

There was no public comment from Russia.

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