A desperate distress signal echoed across the Black Sea as a Russian-affiliated oil tanker, the Virat, came under assault from Ukrainian unmanned naval drones, marking the latest blow in Kyiv’s bid to dismantle Moscow’s covert fleet evading international oil curbs.
The Virat, which had already endured explosive strikes late Friday, absorbed two more hits early Saturday roughly 35 nautical miles from Türkiye’s Black Sea shoreline, according to Turkish officials. In a chilling open-radio broadcast, a crew member broadcast the plea: “This is VIRAT. Help needed! Drone attack! Mayday!” The call underscored the raw terror aboard as the vessel, flagged to Gambia and blacklisted by Western nations for hauling Russian crude, fought to stay afloat.
Videos circulating on X, shared by user @jurgen_nauditt, depict the high-stakes drama: sleek Sea Baby drones—homegrown Ukrainian weapons—barreling toward the massive tankers before detonations send plumes of fire skyward.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) swiftly claimed credit for the synchronized assault, which also crippled the Kairos in short order. Both ships, deemed key cogs in Russia’s sanctions-flouting “shadow fleet,” were left inoperable, the SBU announced. “Both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will significantly hit Russian oil transportation,” one agency official stated. The operation, executed jointly by the SBU and Ukrainian navy, targeted vessels capable of ferrying crude valued at close to $70 million, further straining the Kremlin’s war chest.
While the Kairos erupted in flames, forcing the evacuation of its 25-strong crew, the Virat fared better with superficial wounds above the waterline. Turkish authorities reported the ship holding steady, its personnel unharmed. The strikes unfolded within Ankara’s Exclusive Economic Zone, spurring warnings from the government about “serious navigational risks” and urgent outreach to involved parties to avert broader turmoil in the vital waterway.
These tankers epitomize Russia’s shadowy armada: a ragtag collection of outdated, loosely overseen hulls shuffling crude oil past embargoes through opaque ownership and flag-hopping tactics. This year alone, the US, UK, EU, and Canada have slapped sanctions on both the Kairos and Virat. Ukraine has pressed Washington and its European allies to tighten the noose on the entire fleet, arguing it funnels billions into Moscow’s military machine.
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The naval skirmishes signal a ramp-up in Ukraine’s maritime sabotage, paralleling drone barrages on refineries, ports, and logistics hubs that underpin Russia’s export economy. Just hours later, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium—responsible for over 1% of worldwide oil flows—suspended activities after a Ukrainian drone scarred a docking site at the Novorossiysk terminal in Russia.
In retaliation, Russian drones and missiles pummeled areas around Kyiv overnight, claiming at least three lives, even as backchannel talks among Ukraine, the US, and European counterparts probe pathways to possible cease-fires. Moscow has yet to issue any official response on the tanker incidents.
Tracking records indicate the Virat decelerated and veered toward Turkish shores in the strike’s aftermath, a testament to the precarious balance now tilting in these contested waters.
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