Istanbul: Ukraine has released video showing an attack on two oil tankers in the Black Sea off Turkey, which it said were part of a Russian oil smuggling group known as the Shadow Fleet.
According to Thai News Agency, Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) released video yesterday showing the attack on two oil tankers belonging to Russia's shadow fleet near the Bosphorus Strait. The video shows the moment an SBU unmanned speedboat approaches the tankers and causes a powerful explosion at the base of the tankers, causing a large fireball to be visible.
SBU officials also said the operation was a joint effort between the SBU and the Ukrainian navy. The two tankers attacked, the Kairos and the Virat, were empty of fuel and were headed to the port of Novorossiysk, Russia's main oil port.
Earlier, the Turkish coast guard said two oil tankers belonging to the Russian shadow fleet exploded in the Bosphorus Strait on Friday, sparking fires on both vessels. Speedboats were dispatched to extinguish the blazes and safely evacuate the 25 crew members from the tankers. Turkey's transport ministry said the 274-meter-long Kairos was damaged by an explosion and fire while sailing from Egypt to Russia. The Virat was attacked about 35 nautical miles from the coast and was attacked again by an unmanned vessel on Saturday. The ship sustained minor damage. Turkey said the attacks occurred in its exclusive economic zone and were therefore extremely dangerous.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for tough international action against Russia's shadow fleet, which it accuses of helping Russia export vast amounts of oil and finance its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions. The ships are often old and unregulated, allowing Russia to export oil evading sanctions. The two ships attacked in the Black Sea were among the ships subject to sanctions imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to LSEG Data and Analytics, a U.S.-British financial markets data provider.