Ukrainian Security Services Claim Responsibility for Attacks on Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers
Ukrainian underwater drones have hit two tankers belonging to Russia‘s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea, according to an official in Ukraine‘s security services (SBU). The attacks occurred on Friday and Saturday, with both vessels suffering severe damage, rendering them effectively out of service. A Ukrainian security source told CNN that Sea Baby naval drones were used in a joint operation by the SBU and the navy.
The Gambian-flagged tanker Virat was attacked again on Saturday, after first suffering damage on Friday, according to Turkey’s Transport Ministry. The ship was located about 50 kilometers off the Turkish coast, with tracking data showing it slowing down and turning toward the coast late Friday. Although there was minor damage above the waterline and no fire, a fire-fighting tugboat was sent to the scene.
Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Under Sanctions
Russia uses hundreds of tankers, many of which sail under various flags of convenience, to transport its oil to customers in defiance of sanctions. The Virat, sanctioned by the United States in January and later by the United Kingdom and the European Union this year, was waiting for orders in the Black Sea when it was attacked.
Details of Attacks Emerge
On Friday, there was another explosion on a ship carrying Russian crude oil in a nearby part of the Black Sea. All 25 crew members aboard that tanker, the Gambian-flagged Kairos, were evacuated. Neither ship was in Turkish waters when it was hit. The video showed Turkish tugboats battling a large fire aboard the Kairos about 30 miles off the Turkish coast.
Consequences and Reactions
The Kairos, a 275-meter-long, nearly 80,000-ton vessel, was sanctioned by the EU earlier this year and set sail from an Indian port earlier this month for the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Earlier this year, several unexplained explosions occurred on ships carrying oil to Russia from the Black Sea.
Original Article: Ukraine claims to have hit Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker — Cna