Ukraine has attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker with aerial drones approximately 1,250 miles (2,000km) from its borders, marking the first such strike in the Mediterranean Sea since Moscow’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. Friday’s strike off the coast of Libya reportedly caused critical damage to the vessel, identified as the Qendil.
The attack occurred on the day of Vladimir Putin’s annual end-of-year press conference, during which he said Russia would “definitely respond” to recent Ukrainian attacks on shadow fleet tankers. Putin claimed the strikes would not disrupt supplies but would create additional threats, without directly commenting on the Mediterranean incident.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) described the operation as a “new, unprecedented special operation,” noting that the cargo ship was empty at the time and no environmental threat resulted. The source claimed the tanker had “sustained critical damage and cannot be used for its intended purpose,” adding that it was used to circumvent Western sanctions and fund Russia’s war effort, making it “an absolutely legitimate target.”
The 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. The shadow fleet, estimated to comprise more than 1,000 ships, has enabled Moscow to continue exporting crude oil despite sanctions.
Kyiv has previously targeted Russian shadow tankers in the Black Sea and claimed similar hits off Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The attacks come amid escalating international efforts against shadow fleet activities, including US forces boarding a sanctions-hit tanker off Venezuela earlier this month.
