Ukrainian “Sea Baby” USVs are reported to have attacked and damaged a third suspected shadow fleet tanker in the Black Sea.
Video footage apparently released by the SBU, Ukraine’s Security Service, shows the Comoros-flagged Dashan tanker — already the subject of sanctions from Western governments — apparently coming under a swarm attack from Magura V5 drone boats, aka uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
The now widely-disseminated video footage appears to show one drone approaching the tanker, as well as an explosion at the stern of the ship filmed from a second USV platform.
The attack is reported to have happened on Wednesday in the Black Sea off Yalta on the Crimean peninsula as the ship sailed towards the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
In the last two weeks similar strikes have reportedly been carried out on two other suspected shadow fleet vessels, the tankers Virat and Kairos, both off the Turkish coast.
So-called “shadow fleet” vessels are tankers allegedly sailing under flags of convenience and helping Russia export oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.
According to the SBU the Dashan had been travelling close to her top speed and had switched her transponders off when the explosions detonated at its stern, inflicting significant damage.
Russia made no initial comment about the incident; it had characterised the previous tanker strikes as “piracy.” An SBU spokesman was quoted as saying: “The SBU continues to take active measures to reduce petrodollar revenues to the Russian budget.”
- You can read more details on the Reuters website