Ukraine hit two Russian civilian tankers, the Kairos and Viral, that Moscow used to export oil while circumventing Western sanctions using naval drones in the Black Sea, an SBU security official said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The joint operation to target vessels of the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ was directed by the SBU and the Ukrainian navy, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Read also | Make Money, Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
An SBU official said the two tankers – identified as Kairos and Virat – were empty and on their way to the port of Novorossiysk, Russia’s main oil terminal. “The video (recording) shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively disabled. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official said.
Here is what the Turkish minister said
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said rescue teams initially received information indicating the Kairos* may have hit a mine, but were later informed the explosion occurred on the Virat, the AP reported.
“Our crews indicate that there were explosions on the second ship, which were also caused by external interference,” Uraloglu told NTV television early Saturday morning. “The first things that come to mind for an external strike might be a mine, a missile, a naval vessel or a drone. We don’t have definitive information on that.”
Read also | Russia-Ukraine War: Trump’s Peace Plan Is Just Moscow’s ‘Wish List’
He later told reporters that the tanker’s captain, Virat, had issued a distress call about a “drone attack”.
The incidents took place in Turkey’s exclusive economic zone, he said, adding that Turkish authorities were in contact with their counterparts to prevent a repeat and ensure the safety of navigation. He did not provide further details.
Ukraine has previously targeted Russian shipping
According to OpenSanctions, a database that monitors individuals and entities linked to sanctions evasion, the vessels are part of a shadow fleet used to circumvent restrictions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
While Ukraine has successfully targeted Russian ships during the conflict – often using explosive-laden naval drones – its operations have mostly remained confined to the northern Black Sea.
The Gambian-flagged Kairos caught fire in the Black Sea approximately 28 nautical miles (52 kilometers) off the coast of Turkey’s Kocaeli province, Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said. It sailed empty towards the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
Read also | Russia’s oil binge in India ends in December due to sanctions
Within an hour, the maritime authority announced that a second tanker, the Virat, had been “hit” while sailing in the Black Sea about 35 nautical miles (64 kilometers) off the Turkish coast. He did not provide further details.
Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene to assist. All 20 crew aboard the Virat were safe, although heavy smoke was reported in the engine room, the maritime authority said.
All 25 crew members aboard the Kairos were safely evacuated, Kocaeli Governor Ilhami Aktas said.
Sanctions were imposed on both tankers
VesselFinder showed that Virat was anchored north of the Bosphorus, not far from its current position, on November 4. Kairos’ last position was south of the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara, on November 26.
The United States imposed sanctions on Virat in January this year, followed by the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, according to the website OpenSanctions. Similarly, the EU imposed sanctions on Kairos in July this year, followed by the UK and Switzerland.
“The shadow tanker fleet continues to provide the Kremlin with multibillion-dollar revenues, circumvent sanctions, mask its activities under third-country flags, use complex schemes to hide owners and pose significant environmental threats,” OpenSanctions said on its Kairos website, AP reported.
Virat and Kairos
According to OpenSanctions, Virat, built in 2018, engages in “irregular and high-risk shipping practices” and previously operated under the flags of Barbados, Comoros, Liberia and Panama.
Kairos, built in 2002, has sailed under the flags of Panama, Greece and Liberia. Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service notes on its website that both vessels visit Russian ports and have a way to disable their automatic identification systems that broadcast the ship’s location.
Read also | Putin to visit India next week: the S-400 missile system in the spotlight. What’s on the table?
Among others, they also docked in ports in China, Turkey and India.
Ukraine has consistently called for tougher international action on Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which it says is helping Moscow export huge amounts of oil and finance its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.
(With input from agencies)
