Ukraine’s Security Service, known as SBU, struck a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones for the first time, a military official stated on Friday.
The tanker – Qendil – was struck in neutral waters more than 2,000 km from Ukraine, sustained critical damage and was put out of order. The vessel was empty at the time of the attack, meaning no environmental damage was caused. The tanker had unloaded oil at the Indian port of Sikka earlier this month and was en route back when the strike was carried out, according to officials. Video footage from the attack showed the Oman-flagged tanker being destroyed. A source within Ukraine’s Security Service said “Russia used this tanker to circumvent sanctions and earn money that financed the war against Ukraine.”
"Therefore, from the point of view of international law and the laws and customs of war, this is an absolutely legitimate target for the SBU."
Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but in recent weeks it has clearly expanded the scope of its campaign, hitting oil rigs in the Caspian Sea and taking responsibility for sea-drone attacks on three tankers in the Black Sea.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian tankers in recent weeks, with the SBU saying it hit two sanctioned Russian oil tankers, Kairos and Virat, off Turkey’s Black Sea coast in late November. On December 10, the SBU said it used Sea Baby naval drones to strike another tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea, claiming the vessel was critically damaged.
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