Ukraine’s naval drones strike Russian oil tankers in Black Sea off Turkish coast
The Kairos and Virat are said to be part of the ‘shadow fleet’ that helps Moscow evade international sanctions
Ukraine used domestically produced Sea Baby naval drones to strike two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, an official from Ukraine’s security services said on Saturday.
The two oil tankers, Kairos and Virat – said to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that evade sanctions – were struck in quick succession off Turkey’s Black Sea coast late Friday afternoon.
The strikes prompted rescue operations by the Turkish coastguard and other teams. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.
The SBU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operations, provided a video of the alleged attack, purporting to show the destruction of two tankers at sea.
The official said the two tankers were vessels that were sanctioned by the West, adding that Ukrainian intelligence continued “to take active steps to curtail Russia’s financial capabilities to wage war against Ukraine”.
Sea Baby naval drones had disabled vessels capable of transporting oil worth almost US$70 million, hindering Russia’s efforts to circumvent international sanctions, the official said.