Ukraine hit two ‘shadow fleet’ tankers with drones in Black Sea, security official says

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KYIV, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Ukraine hit two tankers used by Russia to export oil while skirting Western sanctions with marine drones in the Black Sea, an official from the SBU security service said on Saturday.

The joint operation to hit the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ vessels was run by the SBU and Ukraine’s navy, the official said on condition of anonymity. 

Turkish authorities have said that blasts rocked two shadow fleet tankers near Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait on Friday causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched for those on board.

The SBU official said both tankers – identified as the Kairos and Virat – were empty and on their way to the port of Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil terminal.

“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.

They did not say when the strikes took place.

Ukraine has consistently called for tougher international measures for Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, which it says is helping Moscow export vast quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth, writing by Max Hunder; Editing by Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan)