Ukraine hits Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers with underwater drones
What's the story
Ukrainian security services (SBU) have reportedly struck two tankers of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Black Sea using underwater drones. The attacks took place on Friday and Saturday, critically damaging both vessels and effectively taking them out of service, CNN reported. This action is expected to disrupt Russian oil transportation significantly. The Gambian-flagged tanker Virat was attacked on Friday and again on Saturday, sustaining minor above-waterline damage but no fire, Turkish maritime authorities reported.
Twitter Post
Visuals of Sea Baby naval drones' attack
Ukrainians attack two tankers of the Russian shadow fleet.
— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) November 29, 2025
According to sources, SBU Sea Baby naval drones attacked the two sanctioned oil tankers KAIRO and VIRAT in the Black Sea. It was a joint operation between the SBU's 13th Main Directorate for Military Counterintelligence… pic.twitter.com/U82scXaM5r
Second attack
Another tanker, Kairos, suffers explosion
The Gambian-flagged tanker Kairos also suffered an explosion on Friday. All 25 crew members were safely evacuated from the vessel. The ship was sanctioned by the European Union earlier this year and had left an Indian port to return to Russia's Novorossiysk. Both tankers had transited through the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea before being attacked.
Port attack
Ukrainian drones target Russian port in Novorossiysk
In a separate incident, Ukrainian marine drones targeted a mooring point at Russia's Novorossiysk port early Saturday. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium reported the strike, which affected oil exports from Kazakhstan through Russia to overseas customers. Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry responded by activating plans to redirect export oil volumes via alternative routes. This is not the first time Novorossiysk has been targeted by Ukrainian drones; previous attacks have occurred earlier this year.