The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has carried out its first known strike on a tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea, sources in the agency told Kyiv Post.
The operation, described by sources as unprecedented, was conducted more than 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) from Ukraine.
The tanker was hit by QENDIL aerial drones. At the time of the strike, the vessel was not carrying cargo, eliminating the risk of environmental damage, the sources said.
The strike inflicted critical damage, rendering the vessel inoperable, they added.
According to one of Kyiv Post’s SBU sources, the tanker had been used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions and finance the war against Ukraine, making it “an absolutely legitimate target” under international law.
The incident marks the latest in a series of Ukrainian operations targeting vessels involved in the transport of Russian oil.
On Nov. 28, two tankers sailing under the Gambian flag – Kairos and Virat – were attacked near the Bosphorus. The SBU later said both ships were disabled by its Sea Baby maritime drones.
On Dec. 1, the tanker Mersin sustained damage off the coast of Senegal, after which its Turkish owner announced it would halt operations involving Russia. A day later, on Dec. 2, the tanker Midvolga-2 was struck near the Turkish coast.
On Dec. 10, Ukrainian forces also hit the tanker Dashan, described as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” in the Black Sea.
A source in the SBU said the vessel – valued at approximately $30 million and capable of transporting up to $60 million worth of oil products in a single voyage – sustained critical damage and was taken out of service.