- Unmanned sea vehicles struck the Russian oil tanker Virat twice in the Black Sea
- Ukraine's security service claimed responsibility, citing a joint operation with the navy
- The attacks targeted Russian shadow fleet tankers under Western sanctions for oil transport
An unmanned sea vehicle struck a Russian oil tanker, ‘Virat' in the Black Sea on Saturday. The same tanker had been previously hit by blasts late Friday.
The crew of the tanker reported a ‘drone attack' in an intercepted open-frequency radio distress call. However, they were referring to unmanned maritime drones. In a video, the crew can be heard saying, "This is VIRAT. Help needed! Drone attack! Mayday!"
The Turkish transport ministry said on X, "The Virat, which was previously said to have been attacked by unmanned maritime vehicles approximately 35 nautical miles off the Black Sea coastline, was attacked again by unmanned maritime vehicles early this morning”.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, "An external impact means the vessel was hit by a mine, a rocket, or a similar projectile, or perhaps by a drone, or by an unmanned underwater vehicle. These are the first things that come to mind.”
Although Virat suffered minor damage, it is in a stable condition, and the crew is also in good health.
Ukraine Claims Responsibility
AFP has reported that Ukraine is behind the attack on Russian ‘shadow fleet' tankers. This comes in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict at a time when Kyiv is under intense US pressure to sign a peace deal.
An official from the security service of Ukraine said that the joint operation to hit the 'shadow fleet' vessels was run by the SBU and Ukraine navy.
"Video (footage) shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation," the official said.
"Modernised Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels," a source in Ukraine's SBU security service told AFP. It shared a video that purported to show sea drones gliding towards the two ships, before sparking explosions.
Both tankers, which are flying a Gambian flag, according to the VesselFinder website, are subject to Western sanctions for transporting oil from Russian ports in defiance of an embargo imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has repeated called for tougher international measures for Russia's 'shadow fleet', as it says that the export of vast quantities of oil is helping them fund the war despite sanctions.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the targeted ships could have transported oil worth $70 million.
(With inputs from agencies)
