Ukraine hits two Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tankers with naval drones

By Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder

KYIV, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Ukrainian naval drones hit two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, an official said on Saturday, as Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia's vast oil industry.

The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and Virat, were empty and sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, the official at the Security Service of Ukraine told Reuters.

Naval drones could be seen speeding towards hulking tankers followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the vessels, video footage shared by the official showed.

Reuters could not independently verify the identity of the tankers in the clips or the location and date of the footage.

"Video shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation," the official said in a written statement.

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. The strikes on the tankers represent a different kind of attack.

Kyiv has repeatedly called on the West to take real action against Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", which the Ukrainian government says is helping Moscow export large quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.

The fleet of hundreds of often ageing, unregulated vessels came to prominence after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, bypassing Western sanctions aimed at reducing Moscow's oil revenue.

Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which handles more than 1% of global oil, said on Saturday it halted operations after a mooring at Russia's Black Sea terminal was significantly damaged by a Ukrainian naval drone attack.

CPC exports mainly from Kazakhstan via Russia and the Black Sea terminal. Kazakhstan called the attack unacceptable.

SHIPS ARE ON SANCTIONS LIST

Naval drones are uncrewed speed boats packed with explosives that sail towards their targets before detonating. They played a prominent role in Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Black Sea, helping to push back Russia's large fleet of warships.

The 274-meter-long tanker Kairos suffered an explosion and caught fire on Friday while en route from Egypt to Russia, Turkey's Transport Ministry said. The crew was evacuated by rescue boats while efforts to extinguish the fire continued, it said.

The Virat was reportedly struck some 35 nautical miles offshore, further east in the Black Sea, the ministry said. That ship was attacked again on Saturday by unmanned vessels, sustaining minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline, the ministry added. It said the vessel was in stable condition and the crew in good health.

Both the Kairos and Virat are on a list of ships subject to sanctions imposed against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to LSEG data.

Turkey voiced concern over the attacks, saying the incidents took place in its Exclusive Economic Zone and posed serious safety risks.

Ankara is in contact with relevant parties to prevent the war from spreading in the Black Sea and to protect the country's economic interests and operations in the region, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in a post on X.

The Ukrainian official did not say when the Ukrainian strikes took place. 

There was no public comment from Russia.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Max Hunder and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan and Paul Simao)