Ukraine attacked Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea

(Patria) - Ukrainian officials announced that Ukrainian naval drones hit two oil tankers from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" as they were traveling through the Black Sea, the BBC reported.

Footage confirmed by the BBC shows water drones rushing through the waves towards the vessels before detonating in a fireball, sending black smoke into the air.
Turkish authorities named the targeted tankers Kairos and Virat, both under the flag of Gambia. Both were hit off the Turkish coast on Friday, and Virat was reportedly hit again on Saturday.

There were no reported casualties.

The attacks appear to represent an escalation by Kyiv as it tries to attack Russian oil revenues, which are crucial for financing the war in Ukraine.

The two ships are reportedly part of Russia's "shadow fleet" – a term referring to hundreds of tankers Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions imposed after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The shadow fleet largely consists of older tankers, many with unclear ownership or insurance. Kairos was hit in the southwestern Black Sea, and Virat in the central area further east.

Both ships are on the list of vessels subject to sanctions, according to data from the London Stock Exchange.

Sources told BBC Ukraine that Sea Baby drones – a type of naval drone produced by Ukrainian security services, known as the SBU – were used in the attack.

Turkish authorities announced that they were assisting the vessels and released footage showing two of their ships attempting to extinguish the fire on Kairos.
The attacks are considered a warning from Ukraine, suggesting that ships carrying Russian oil in the Black Sea face the risk of direct attack, not just Western sanctions.

Separately, a major consortium transporting oil from the Caspian region announced that it had suspended loading at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a drone boat attack overnight.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium announced that the attack caused significant damage to the docking facility. Russia and Kazakhstan are the main shareholders in the company, which is also partially owned by Western firms such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Saturday that a delegation led by high-ranking security official Rustem Umerov was on its way to the United States to continue talks on an agreement to end the war.

Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation after the previous chief negotiator, influential head of Zelenskyy's office Andriy Yermak, resigned after anti-corruption detectives searched his apartment on Friday.
The Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet with US officials in Florida on Sunday.

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's envoy for foreign affairs, will hold talks in Moscow next week.