Ukraine says it attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time

For the first time, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has attacked a tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean Sea, anonymous sources in the SBU told RBC-Ukraine. The incident occurred in international waters.

According to the report, the special operation was carried out more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from Ukraine and was unprecedented in scale. The multi-stage plan resulted in the SBU’s Alpha unit striking the tanker Qendil (IMO: 9310525), which Ukraine says was being used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions.

The attack was carried out using aerial drones, the sources said. At the time of the strike, the vessel was not carrying cargo and was sailing empty, meaning the operation did not pose a threat to the region’s environmental safety, according to the sources.

RBC-Ukraine’s source in the SBU said:

“Russia used this tanker to evade sanctions and earn money that was used to wage war against Ukraine. Therefore, from the standpoint of international law and the laws and customs of war, this is an absolutely legitimate target for the SBU. The enemy must understand that Ukraine will not stop and will strike it anywhere in the world, wherever it may be.”

The source added that the vessel sustained critical damage and can no longer be used for its intended purpose.

According to data from the Starboard Maritime Intelligence tracking system reviewed by The Insider, the tanker had declared its destination as the Russian port of Ust-Luga and was traveling at a normal cruising speed until about 2 a.m. Moscow time on Dec. 19, after which it turned around and remained adrift until 10:30 a.m. It then proceeded at a normal speed toward Port Said, Egypt. Its listed destination was first changed to Port Said and then to Aliaga, Turkey. At 2:20 p.m., the vessel stopped transmitting its signal.

The Insider was able to confirm that the tanker is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and New Zealand. It sails under the flag of Oman, according to GISIS IMO data current as of August.

Ukrainian intelligence says that during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price cap on Russian crude, the vessel was used to export oil from Russian ports to third countries, often with its AIS tracking system switched off.

Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on tankers linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which is used to bypass sanctions on oil exports. Attacks have been particularly frequent in the Black Sea. As The Insider reported earlier today, the escalation has prompted “shadow fleet” tankers to change their usual routes and sail closer to the Turkish coast en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

On Nov. 28, the tankers Kairos (IMO: 9236004) and Virat (IMO: 9832559), both sailing under a false Gambian flag, were attacked almost simultaneously by maritime drones several dozen nautical miles off Turkey’s coast. Ukrainian media, citing sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reported that the attacks were part of an SBU operation using upgraded naval drones. Virat was attacked again on Nov. 29. It later changed its flag to that of Russia and is now located in the port of Tuzla. Kairos was later towed toward Bulgaria, where it ran aground.

On Dec. 2, the vessel Midvolga 2 (IMO: 9735139) was attacked approximately 80 nautical miles (roughly 148 kilometers) off the Turkish coast. The ship was traveling from Russia to Georgia carrying a cargo of sunflower oil. It sails under the Russian flag and is owned by the Moscow-based Srednevolzhsk Shipping Company, which is under Ukrainian sanctions.

On Dec. 10, Sea Baby maritime drones used by the SBU attacked the tanker Dashan in the Black Sea south of Feodosia, a port city located in the eastern part of Russian-occupied Crimea. The tanker, sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, was traveling at maximum speed with its transponder switched off as it made its way through Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone toward the Russian port terminal in Novorossiysk. The SBU said the operation was conducted jointly between its 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence and the Ukrainian Navy.