Ukraine claims that its underwater drones have struck two oil tankers belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea, according to an official from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
Ukraine took responsibility for the attacks after explosions hit the two ships on Friday and Saturday. A Ukrainian security source told CNN that Sea Baby naval drones were used in a joint operation carried out by the SBU and the navy. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Both tankers suffered serious damage, the source said, and were effectively taken out of service. Russia uses hundreds of tankers—many sailing under various flags of convenience—to transport its oil to customers in defiance of sanctions.
The tanker Virat, sailing under the flag of Gambia, was hit again on Saturday after being damaged for the first time on Friday, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Transport.
According to Turkish maritime authorities, there was minor damage above the waterline and no fire. The ship is located about 50 kilometers off the Turkish coast. Ship-tracking data showed it slowing down and turning back toward the shore late on Friday.
“There has been no request from the crew to abandon the ship,” the Turkish Ministry of Transport said, but a firefighting tugboat was sent to the scene.
The destination of Virat was unclear. Shipping data indicated that it was awaiting orders in the Black Sea. It was sanctioned by the United States in January under a different name, and later this year by the UK and the European Union.
On Friday, there was also an explosion on another vessel transporting Russian crude oil in a nearby area of the Black Sea. All 25 crew members aboard that tanker, the Kairos, also flying the Gambian flag, were evacuated. Neither vessel was in Turkish waters when struck.
Video footage showed Turkish tugboats battling a large fire onboard the ship about 30 miles off the Turkish coast. On Saturday, the Turkish Ministry of Transport said that a fire on the open deck of the Kairos had been extinguished.
The Kairos is 275 meters long and weighs nearly 80,000 tons. It was sanctioned by the EU earlier this year and departed an Indian port earlier this month to return to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Earlier this year, several unexplained explosions occurred on ships transporting oil for Russia from the Black Sea.
/CNA, translated from CNN/
