Ukraine’s naval drones strike Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast

A new released Sea Baby drone "Avdiivka" rides on the water during the presentation by Ukraine's Security Service in Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

ISTANBUL — Ukraine used domestically produced Sea Baby naval drones to strike two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, an official from Ukraine’s security services told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The two oil tankers, Kairos and Virat — said to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that evade sanctions — were struck in quick succession off Turkey’s Black Sea coast late Friday afternoon.

The strikes prompted rescue operations by the Turkish coast guard and other teams. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.

The SBU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operations, provided a video of the alleged attack, purporting to show the destruction of two tankers at sea.

The official said the two tankers were vessels that were sanctioned by the West, adding that Ukrainian intelligence continued “to take active steps to curtails Russia’s financial capabilities to wage war against Ukraine.”

Sea Baby naval drones had disabled vessels capable of transporting oil worth almost US$70 million, hindering Russia’s efforts to circumvent international sanctions, the official said.

Earlier, Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the tankers were possibly struck by mines, missiles, a marine vessel, or a drone.

The incidents took place within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone, he said, noting that Turkish authorities were in contact with their counterparts to prevent a recurrence and to ensure navigational safety. He did not provide further details.

Uraloglu said the Gambian-flagged Kairos had caught fire, which was continuing in the vessel’s enclosed areas on Saturday. All 25 crews were safely evacuated.

The Virat, however, was not ablaze and no evacuation request was made, he added. Authorities had earlier reported a fire in the Virat’s engine room.

He minister the captain of the Virat tanker had issued a distress call over “a drone attack.”

Ukraine has previously targeted Russian shipping

The OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organizations involved in sanctions evasion, describes the vessels as part of a shadow fleet of ships used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian shipping during the war, particularly using explosives-packed marine drones. However, Ukrainian missions have largely been limited to the waters of the northern Black Sea.

Officials said the Gambian-flagged Kairos caught fire in the Black Sea approximately 28 nautical miles (52 kilometres) off the coast of Turkey’s Kocaeli province. It was sailing empty from Egypt toward Russia’s Novorossiysk port.

Shortly after, the maritime authority reported that a second tanker, Virat, was “struck” while sailing in the Black Sea about 35 nautical miles (64 km) off the Turkish coast.

Both tankers were under sanctions

The VesselFinder website showed the Virat was anchored north of the Bosphorus, not far from its current position, on Nov. 4. The Kairos’ last position was on Nov. 26 south of the Dardanelles Strait connecting the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

The United States sanctioned the Virat in January this year, followed by the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, according to the OpenSanctions website. Similarly, the EU sanctioned the Kairos in July this year, followed by the U.K. and Switzerland.

“The shadow tanker fleet continues to provide multibillion-dollar revenues for the Kremlin bypassing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to conceal owners and poses significant environmental threats,” OpenSanctions says in its website entry on the Kairos.

The Virat, built in 2018, uses “irregular and high-risk shipping practices” and has previously sailed under the flags of Barbados, Comoros, Liberia and Panama, OpenSanctions says.

The Kairos, formerly flagged as Panamanian, Greek and Liberian, was built in 2002.

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey, and Koshiw reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Andrew Wilks And Suzan Fraser And Isobel Koshiw, The Associated Press