Ukrainian naval drones have struck two large Russia-linked oil tankers in the Black Sea, Kyiv said, expanding its campaign against Moscow’s maritime energy network as both sides intensify attacks across the region. The Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy targeted the tankers Louise 1 and Banda, the Kyiv-based security service said in a statement on Telegram.
Both vessels are subject to Ukrainian sanctions and have been used to transport Russian crude for export from ports on the Black and Baltic seas, according to the statement. “Each strike on the shadow fleet is a direct blow to the ability of the Russian Federation to continue aggression,” the security service said.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and tankers, in an effort to increase pressure on the Kremlin and push it towards negotiations. The Black Sea is a crucial export route, accounting for more than 20% of Russia’s seaborne crude shipments.
Kyiv’s campaign against Russian refineries has reduced domestic processing capacity, forcing Moscow to export more crude. Russian seaborne crude shipments have consequently risen to their highest level since the start of the war. Ukraine has also intensified attacks on tankers operating in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The country’s security service said its drone campaign had hit 147 Russia-linked vessels over an 11-day period. The Banda, a Liberia-flagged Aframax crude tanker, was last tracked in the Black Sea on Thursday and was listed as “not under command,” indicating that the vessel is unable to manoeuvre because of exceptional circumstances.
The tanker had most recently called at Georgia’s Kulevi port and Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest oil export terminal on the Black Sea. The Louise 1, a Panama-flagged Suezmax crude tanker, was last tracked near Russia’s Black Sea coast on Thursday and was listed as “underway using engine”.
Its most recent port calls were Istanbul and Çanakkale in Turkey.