Ukraine has carried out drone attacks on two oil tankers belonging to Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet,” according to reports from Turkish authorities. On Friday night, explosions struck the Gambia-flagged tankers Kairos and Virat, located several dozen kilometres off the Turkish coast.

Turkish officials said Kairos caught fire and was partially engulfed in flames, prompting the evacuation of all 25 crew members. The Virat was reportedly hit twice, sustaining minor damage. Neither vessel was carrying crude oil at the time of the incident.

Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, stated that the attacks occurred within Turkey’s Exclusive Economic Zone and that discussions were underway with relevant countries to prevent a recurrence.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has claimed responsibility, saying the attacks were conducted jointly with the Ukrainian navy using long-range “Sea Baby” maritime drones equipped with reinforced warheads. The SBU also released drone-camera footage showing the strikes.

Both Kairos and Virat are under sanctions from the U.K. and the European Union. The Virat—built in 2018—has also been sanctioned by Canada.

A Growing ‘Shadow Fleet’

Elisabeth Braw, an analyst with the Atlantic Council, said Russia’s shadow fleet has become “like a tumour” within global maritime trade. These vessels often conceal their identities by frequently changing names and registration, operating under “flags of convenience” from countries like Gambia and the Cook Islands.

Despite multiple rounds of Western sanctions, these ships continue transporting Russian crude, helping to sustain Moscow’s economy and its war effort against Ukraine.

Rising Tensions in the Black Sea

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea region has remained tense. Civilian vessels have been damaged in previous attacks and underwater mine incidents.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including facilities near the port of Novorossiysk. On Saturday, Ukraine announced it had hit Russia’s Afipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar as well. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said one of its mooring points at Novorossiysk was severely damaged.

Around the same time, Russia launched dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones across Ukraine, killing at least three people in Kyiv.