Unmanned aerial vehicles of the “Alpha” unit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have, for the first time, struck a tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet while it was located in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. According to a source in the Ukrainian special service, the SBU carried out a special operation unique in both scale and range, conducted at a distance of more than 2,000 km from Ukrainian territory.
As reported by Suspilne, following a series of carefully planned measures in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Alpha unit employed aerial drones to strike a shadow fleet tanker of the Russian Federation named QENDIL. At the time of the operation, the Russian vessel was not transporting any cargo, and therefore, as the source emphasized, the strike posed no risks to the region’s environmental safety.
As a result of the attack, the tanker QENDIL sustained critical damage, rendering it incapable of performing its intended functions. The SBU emphasized that Russia used this vessel as a tool to circumvent international sanctions, while the proceeds generated from its operation were directed toward financing the war against Ukraine. In this context, in accordance with international law as well as the laws and customs of warfare, such a vessel constitutes a fully legitimate and lawful target for the Ukrainian special service.
Earlier, on November 28, explosions occurred in the Black Sea on two tankers that were en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. These vessels belonged to Russia’s shadow fleet involved in oil exports and were already under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It was later confirmed that the tankers had been struck by the SBU’s Sea Baby maritime drones. Another tanker, Dashan, was hit on December 10.
In addition, the Security Service of Ukraine recently carried out a successful attack on the Filanovsky oil production platform in the Caspian Sea, which resulted in the suspension of its operations. This marked the first documented case of Russian oil infrastructure being struck in this region.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (GUR), Russia’s shadow fleet consists of more than a thousand tankers. At least 238 of them are actively used in schemes to circumvent sanctions. Such vessels regularly change flags, switch off tracking systems, and operate without proper insurance coverage, which significantly complicates their identification and monitoring by international institutions. However, the international community is gradually increasing pressure in response to these actions. In particular, the European Union has repeatedly expanded its sanctions lists, adding vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet.
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Souser: suspilne
