Ukraine has attacked a Russian shadow fleet tanker with aerial drones approximately 2,000km from its borders, in the first such strike in the Mediterranean Sea since Moscow's full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago. The vessel, identified as the Qendil, reportedly sustained critical damage in Friday's attack off the coast of Libya.
The strike came on the day Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-year press conference, during which he said Russia would definitely respond to recent Ukrainian attacks on shadow fleet tankers. He claimed the attacks would not disrupt supplies but would create additional threats, without directly commenting on the latest incident.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine described the operation as a new, unprecedented special operation, saying the tanker was empty at the time and no environmental threat resulted. The source claimed the vessel had been used to circumvent western sanctions and fund Russia's war effort, making it an absolutely legitimate target under international law.
The shadow fleet, estimated to include more than 1,000 ships that frequently change flags and obscure ownership, has allowed Russia to continue exporting crude oil despite sanctions. Experts and several European leaders believe some vessels have been used for hybrid warfare across the continent.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the development reflects a stark expansion of Ukraine's use of uncrewed aerial systems against maritime assets associated with Russia's sanctioned oil export network. According to Vessel Finder, the tanker was last in port at Suez, Egypt, on 16 December and was off the Libyan coast when it turned back. Kyiv has previously claimed similar hits on Russia-linked tankers off Turkey's Black Sea coast.
