Ukraine Hit Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers, Undermining Moscow’s Sanctions-Evasion Fleet

Ukraine's Maritime Drone Campaign Just Got a Major Boost

In a significant escalation of its maritime campaign against Russia, Ukraine has struck two Russian oil tankers operating in international waters off Turkey's Black Sea coast. The drones, known as the Sea Baby platform, successfully disabled vessels carrying nearly $70 million worth of oil. The attacks marked a major expansion of Kyiv's operations and demonstrated improved drone endurance.

The Kairos tanker caught fire after being hit by a drone, with all 25 crew members evacuated by Turkish coast guard teams. In contrast, the Virat suffered damage but remained afloat. Ukrainian naval drones have previously been confined to the northern Black Sea, but this attack shows they can operate far beyond their previous range.

Experts believe that Ukraine intentionally targeted the vessels to disable them without sinking them, as a way of avoiding international condemnation. The use of drones has become an increasingly important component of the Ukrainian navy's strategy against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. According to Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, "Naval drones are now a crucial component of the Ukrainian navy and the primary strike weapon at sea."

The attack on Russian tankers is part of Ukraine's broader strategy to constrain Russia's energy revenues. By targeting both transport vessels and loading infrastructure, Kyiv appears to be pursuing a coordinated approach aimed at damaging Russia's oil export capabilities. This strategy is likely to have significant implications for the global energy market.

Russia's reliance on its shadow fleet, designed to evade international sanctions, has been exposed as vulnerable to Ukrainian drone attacks. The risks facing this fleet are rising, both from Ukrainian drones and their own deteriorating condition. Experts warn that companies attempting to engage with Russia's oil trade may face a changing calculus as Kyiv continues to impose costs.

The attack on the tankers also comes at a time when Washington's wavering support for Ukraine is creating uncertainty about its ability to lecture Kyiv on how to conduct its own affairs. Ukraine, however, remains determined to rebalance the negotiations and step up pressure on Moscow.

idk why ppl think russia should get a free pass 4 doin what it wants in intl waters lol. they've been usin their shadow fleet 2 evade sanctions & hurt others, now its ur turn 2 get hit back at

Ukraine just took it to another level with those drone attacks on Russian oil tankers. I mean, $70 million worth of oil? That's some serious cash . And let me tell you, it's not like they were just lucky, either - those drones must've been super precise and endurance-wise . The fact that they can now operate way beyond their previous range is a huge win for Ukraine.

But what really gets me excited is how this is going to shake things up in the global energy market . I mean, Russia's all about their shadow fleet, trying to avoid sanctions and whatnot, but it looks like those drones are exposing them for the vulnerabilities they are . And now, companies are gonna have to weigh their options when dealing with Russia's oil trade - that's some serious business pressure .

It's also interesting to see how this plays out with Washington's support for Ukraine being a bit... sketchy lately . I mean, they're trying to lecture Kyiv on how to conduct itself, but it looks like the Ukrainians are just gonna keep pushing forward and seeing what happens . Either way, this is some fascinating stuff - can't wait to see how it all plays out!

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or bad... The Ukrainians are basically hacking Russian oil tankers with drones now? It's like something out of a video game, but in real life it's just really intense. Russia's got some serious problems right now and I feel bad for them. But at the same time, Ukraine is trying to stick it to their enemy and who can blame 'em? The global energy market is gonna be shook up big time after this. What do you guys think about all of this? Should Ukraine keep pushing back or try to play nice with Russia?

omg ukraines got some serious drone power ! i mean like two russian oil tankers just got disabled in one hit and now moscow is feeling the heat . seriously though, this is huge for ukraine's energy game and it shows kyiv is not going to back down from a fight . and can we talk about how turkey is just chillin' over there like "oh yeah, i'll just help evacuate the crew and let them go " lol.

anywayz, this is def gonna shake things up in the global energy market and russia's got some major egg on its face right now . it's all about ukraine pushing back against moscow's shadow fleet and crippling their oil export capabilities . i'm lowkey rooting for kyiv here

I'm a bit worried about these drone attacks . I mean, they're able to hit those oil tankers from far away? That's insane! And Russia is all like "oh no, our ships are being targeted" . But seriously, it's not just about the oil, it's about the big players trying to control the energy market . What if this starts a bigger war or something? I don't want to see innocent people getting hurt . Can we just have some peace and quiet for once?

what a perfect way to take out some cash from Russia, drones are like the ultimate low-key assassins 70 million bucks worth of oil is no joke, Kyiv's playing hardball here and if you think Russia was using their "shadow fleet" to hide from sanctions, well good luck with that . I mean who needs a fancy intelligence network when you've got drones?

And let's be real, the US is all like "oh wait, we're not sure if we should support Ukraine anymore", meanwhile Kyiv is over here like "no problem, we'll just keep taking out your oil exports and maybe you can figure it out yourself" . It's like they're playing a game of cat and mouse with Russia, but instead of cats and mice, it's drones and tankers

so this is insane - ukraine just took out two russian oil tankers in international waters... that's like a major escalation of their maritime campaign. i think what's crazy is that they used these drones called sea babies to disable the vessels without sinking them, kinda like a surgical strike . experts say it was all about avoiding international condemnation, which makes sense since russia's been doing some shady stuff in the region.

anyway, this attack shows that ukraine's naval drones are getting more capable and can operate further away from their usual range. i think it's also worth noting that russia's got a "shadow fleet" that's designed to evade sanctions, but now they're exposed as vulnerable to these drone attacks . it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out in the global energy market.

i'm kinda curious about washington's wavering support for ukraine too... is kyiv just going to keep pushing back against moscow? only time will tell

I was saying, this whole thing with the drones just got really interesting! I mean, Ukraine's been testing these Sea Baby platforms for a while now, but it's crazy how far they've come. Like, who would've thought they could hit oil tankers in international waters? The fact that Russia was caught off guard is no surprise, though - they've been relying on their "shadow fleet" to avoid sanctions... well, looks like that plan didn't work out so great .

But seriously, this attack shows just how serious Ukraine's getting about taking down Russia's energy revenue. And with the drones being the primary strike weapon at sea now? That's some next-level stuff! The global energy market is gonna have to deal with some changes, and it'll be interesting to see how companies weigh in on that.

And I guess what I was saying earlier is... what's going on with Washington's support for Ukraine? Are they really wavering, or is this just a strategic move to keep things balanced? Either way, Kyiv's not backing down, and that's something to watch.

I'm stoked to see Ukraine taking this step ! The Sea Baby platform is looking legit, it's awesome that they're using drones in this way to disable oil tankers without sinking them. It's a clever move, reduces collateral damage & international backlash . This opens up new possibilities for the Ukrainian navy, I mean, who knew their range was actually greater than previously thought? The global energy market is gonna be watching closely as Kyiv tries to squeeze Russia's oil exports . Companies gotta consider the risks now, this is a bold move by Ukraine

Wow the use of drones in maritime warfare is getting crazy ! $70 million worth of oil just lost to sea . Russia's got some serious issues with its "shadow fleet" . Ukraine's like a tech-savvy ninja , always one step ahead of the game . This is gonna shake up the global energy market big time ! Interesting how Ukraine's strategy is putting pressure on Russia and its oil trade .

Omg I'm literally shaking just thinking about those poor crew members who had to evacuate from the fire My heart goes out to them. This is such a scary situation for all of us, but it's amazing that Ukraine is taking matters into their own hands and fighting back against Russia. It's like they're saying 'no way are we going to let you just keep on hurting our people' The fact that these drones can operate so far out in the Black Sea is insane! I'm literally impressed by the tech and the strategy behind this attack. And yeah, it makes total sense that Ukraine would want to disable those tankers without sinking them, to avoid all that international attention I just wish we could all be a bit more supportive of Ukraine right now... they're going through so much

just saw that Ukraine took down 2 russian oil tankers with drones like what even is a sea baby platform?! they're basically saying "hey russia, we can hit you from afar" and now everyone's talking about the global energy market guess that means less oil for us lol. but seriously though, this is a big deal for ukraine and it looks like their strategy is working

I'm not sure if we're really seeing a clear strategy here from Ukraine's side... like, what's the goal again? Is it just about disrupting Russia's oil supplies or is there something more at play? The part about companies facing changing calculus when engaging with Russia's oil trade sounds sketchy, though... who gets to decide that?

think this is gonna be super interesting to see how Russia's gonna respond to this kinda escalation... been reading a lot of ppl saying it's a big deal that they got 2 tankers out (only one caught fire tho) but idk if it's really that much of a game changer for Ukraine... i mean, russian oil is still worth like $100 billion a year or whatever. and yeah, the geopolitics around all this are super complex... usa's not exactly known for being consistent on their support for ukraine so this might make things even more tricky for kyiv.

Yaaas, Ukraine is giving major power moves . Those Russian oil tankers just got schooled ! I'm loving the fact that Ukraine's been able to expand their drone operations so far beyond their previous range . It's like they're saying, "Hey Russia, you can't hide behind your 'shadow fleet' anymore" . This is all about Kyiv taking control of their own destiny and not letting anyone dictate how they conduct themselves . And let's be real, the fact that Russia's relying on this vulnerable fleet is just a major weakness . Ukraine's got this!

just think about it ukraine's got skills now with these sea baby drones they're not just confined to the northern black sea anymore, they can take on russian tankers in international waters that's some next level stuff and it's not just about disabling them without sinking them, it's about sending a message to russia that they need to rethink their energy game ️ ukraine's strategy is all about constraining russia's oil revenues and i gotta say, it's working the global energy market is gonna feel the impact of this one

those ukrainians are getting sneaky with drones... first it was just in the northern black sea, now they're hitting russian tankers like 700 million dollars worth of oil is gonna make a huge dent in russia's pockets... hope kyiv's strategy doesn't mess up their own economy tho

Man I'm so down with this move by Ukraine! They're really taking a stand against Russia's energy trade and it's about time someone did . Those drones are like little superheroes flying around and taking down oil tankers left and right . It's crazy how much of an impact these guys can have on the global market, like, major players are gonna be affected by this .

I love how Ukraine is not messing around, they're willing to take risks and push back against Russia's aggression ‍. And honestly, it's about time someone did . The international community needs to step up their game too, like Washington can't just be playing both sides here .

This is gonna be a wild ride, I'm hyped to see how it all plays out . Ukraine's got my back and I'm rooting for them all the way !

just thinkin bout those Ukrainian drones and their Sea Baby platform ... 70 million bucks worth of oil gone! that's some serious firepower right there Ukraine is gettin pretty sneaky with these maritime ops, operatin far beyond the Black Sea . And I gotta say, Russia's shadow fleet is lookin a bit dodgy right now ... gotta wonder how they're gonna recover from this

anywayz, this just goes to show that Ukraine's gettin pretty serious about constrainin Russia's energy revenues ... and with Washington's support bein all wobbly , Kyiv's just takin matters into their own hands . Guess we'll see how this all plays out in the global energy market ...