A drone attack damaged an oil tanker linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey, Turkish media reported, marking another escalation in strikes targeting vessels used to evade Western sanctions.
According to Meduza, citing Turkish outlets including Habertürk, the tanker Elbus, sailing under the flag of Palau, was hit by a drone roughly 30 nautical miles (about 56 kilometers) off the coast near Abana in Turkey’s Kastamonu province.
Damage reported, tanker towed to safety
Turkish reports said the drone strike damaged the upper section of the tanker. After the impact, the vessel sent a distress signal, prompting a response from the Turkish Coast Guard.
Coast Guard units escorted the tanker to the area near the port of İnebolu, where it is now anchored while authorities assess the extent of the damage. No casualties were reported.
Turkish media did not specify the tanker’s cargo or its point of origin and destination.
Linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet”
Ukrainian military-linked Telegram channel Operatyvnyi ZSU claimed the Elbus was part of Russia’s shadow fleet and was en route to load oil in Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil-export hub on the Black Sea. Pro-war Russian bloggers have also described the vessel as belonging to the shadow fleet.
Independent Russian anti-war news outlet Mediazona noted that the tanker has repeatedly changed its country of registration and was owned by Russia’s state-controlled shipping company Sovcomflot until 2014, a pattern commonly associated with vessels used to obscure ownership and bypass sanctions.
Neither Russian nor Ukrainian authorities have officially commented on the incident.
Pattern of attacks since late 2025
Since November 2025, there have been multiple reports of Ukrainian strikes on Russian shadow fleet tankers. Three vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea, with another reportedly targeted in the Mediterranean, according to statements by Ukrainian officials.
Moscow has warned that it could retaliate against such attacks, including threats to “cut Ukraine off from the sea.”
US policy shift and wider implications
The Atlantic previously reported, citing its sources, that the administration of US President Donald Trump authorized Ukraine to strike Russian oil infrastructure as part of an effort to pressure Moscow into peace negotiations. Kyiv has since expanded that campaign to include vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet.
The attack on the Elbus, combined with the US seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday, highlights how maritime routes used to transport sanctioned oil are becoming increasingly contested, signaling mounting risks for Russia’s ability to move energy exports without interference.