Ukrainian naval drones hit two Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tankers

Kyiv: Ukrainian naval drones hit two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as the vessels headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, the Ukrainian government said, while Russia unleashed an air barrage on Kyiv overnight.

The attacks come as President Volodymyr Zelensky’s negotiating team heads to the US for talks aimed at bringing an end to the war.

The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and Virat, were empty and sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil terminal on the Black Sea oil, the official at the Security Service of Ukraine said.

The official did not say when the Ukrainian strikes took place, but reports from other governments suggest they occurred on Friday and Saturday (European time).

Naval drones were seen speeding towards hulking tankers followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the vessels in video footage shared by the official and verified independently.

“Video shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official said in a statement.

A Ukrainian naval drone hits a Russian oil tanker in the Black Sea.

Separately, Zelensky said 36 missiles and almost 600 drones were fired by Russian forces in an overnight attack on Ukraine’s capital that occurred on Friday (Kyiv time). The main targets were energy infrastructure and civilian facilities, with extensive damage and fires in residential buildings, he said.

As well as those killed, at least 29 people were injured in Kyiv with 19 hospitalised, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. Air raid sirens in the capital sounded for almost 12 hours, and half a million people were without power.

Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov and his negotiating team were on their way to the US, Zelensky said on X. They are expected to meet in Florida on Sunday (US time) with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, according to an American official.

“The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” Zelensky said.

Russian oil

Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries for months, using long-range aerial drones to strike far behind the frontlines of Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The strikes on the tankers represent a different kind of attack.

Firefighters put out a blaze after a Russian attack in Vyshgorod, outside of Kyiv, on Sunday.Credit: AP

Kyiv 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 quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.

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This masthead’s Blood Oil series has reported on how oil imported to Australia is helping Russian President Vladimir Putin pursue his war on Ukraine.

The fleet of hundreds of often ageing, unregulated vessels came to prominence after Russia’s invasion, bypassing Western sanctions aimed at reducing Moscow’s oil revenue.

Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which handles more than 1 per cent of global oil, said it halted operations after a mooring at Russia’s 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.

Naval drones are uncrewed speed boats packed with explosives that sail towards their targets before detonating. They played a prominent role in Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Black Sea, helping to push back Russia’s large fleet of warships.

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The 274-metre tanker Kairos 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 boats while efforts to extinguish the fire continued, the ministry said.

The Virat was reportedly struck 35 nautical miles offshore, further east in the Black Sea, the ministry said. That ship was attacked again on Saturday by unmanned vessels, and sustained minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline. The ministry said the vessel was in stable condition and the crew in good health.

Both the 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 data from financial institute LSEG.

Turkey voiced concern over the attacks, saying the incidents took place in its exclusive economic zone and posed serious safety risks.

Ankara is in contact with relevant parties to prevent the war from spreading in the Black Sea and to protect Turkey’s economic interests and operations in the region, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in a post on X.

There was no public comment from Russia.

Reuters, Bloomberg

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