STORY: :: Directorate General of Coastal Safety
Ukrainian naval drones hit two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea that were headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets.
:: Security Service of Ukraine
That's according to an official at the Security Service of Ukraine, which released this video on Saturday, showing the naval drones crashing into the tankers.
Reuters could not independently verify the details of the video.
The Ukrainian official identified the two empty oil tankers as the Kairos and Virat... adding that both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service.
There was no public comment from Russia.
:: 2025 Vantor
:: November 16, 2025
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries for months, using long-range aerial drones to strike far behind the front lines of Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine.
:: Security Service of Ukraine
But the strikes on the tankers represent a different kind of attack.
Ukraine has repeatedly called on the West to take real action against Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," which Kyiv says is helping Moscow export large quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.
