Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Mediterranean
Ukraine has struck a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones for the first time, an official said on Friday, reflecting the growing intensity of Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping.
The vessel – the Qendil – was empty when it was struck by drones in neutral waters more than 2,000 km (1,250 miles) from Ukraine, sustaining critical damage, the official at the SBU security service said in a written statement. The tanker was located off Libya’s coast at 1330 GMT, MarineTraffic data showed.
Multi-Stage Measures
The strike on the Qendil is notable not only because it was further away in the Mediterranean but also because it used aerial drones. “This development reflects a stark expansion of Ukraine’s use of uncrewed aerial systems against maritime assets associated with Russia‘s sanctioned oil export network,” British maritime risk-management group Vanguard said.
The Ukrainian official did not say how the drones reached the ship, but said the operation involved “multi-stage” measures. The SBU, the vast security agency behind the attack, has conducted highly sophisticated attacks against Russia, smuggling in dozens of drones for an operation to destroy strategic bombers at air bases far beyond the front in June.
Growing Intensity
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly widened its campaign in recent weeks, striking oil rigs in the Caspian Sea and claiming credit for sea-drone attacks on three tankers in the Black Sea. Those tankers as well as the Oman-flagged Qendil are part of Russia‘s so-called “shadow fleet” – unregulated ships that Kyiv says are helping Moscow export large quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea in response to the attacks on tankers, which he has derided as piracy. There was no fresh comment from Moscow on the latest attack.
Context and Consequences
The Qendil was en route to the Russian port of Ust Luga in the Baltic Sea from the Indian port of Sikka, MarineTraffic data showed. India is a major consumer of Russian oil, although it has faced pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to curb its purchases to reduce the oil revenue that Ukraine says is fuelling Russia‘s full-scale war.
“We understand that it is returning to a port that is currently unknown,” an official from a European Union country told Reuters. The strike on the Qendil comes as international pressure mounts on India and other countries to cut their ties with Russian oil, amid concerns over Moscow’s continued aggression in Ukraine.
Original Article: Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Mediterranean — Marinelink