Ukrainian Sea Baby naval drones have struck a sanctioned oil tanker described as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea, in the third reported attack on such vessels in two weeks.
According to sources in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the Sea Baby drones hit the Dashan tanker on 10 December while it was sailing through Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone towards the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The vessel, sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, was reportedly travelling at full speed with its automatic identification system switched off at the time of the attack. Video released by the SBU shows explosions at the stern of a large tanker and fire in the area of the engine compartment.
SBU sources said the Dashan suffered “critical” damage and was likely disabled as a result of multiple strikes on the aft section. There has been no official information on casualties or pollution, and independent verification of the extent of the damage has not yet been possible.
The SBU described the operation as a joint action by its 13th Main Directorate of military counter-intelligence and the Ukrainian Navy. Ukrainian officials say the Sea Baby programme – a domestically developed family of explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels – has become a central tool in Kyiv’s efforts to challenge Russian forces and shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian media, citing security service sources, estimate the value of a tanker of this class at around US$30 million, with a typical cargo worth roughly US$60 million in oil products. Dashan had previously been targeted by sanctions from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Switzerland for transporting Russian crude and refined products using high-risk practices, including voyages with identification systems turned off and ship-to-ship transfers associated with sanctions evasion.
Ukrainian officials say Dashan forms part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet – a network of older tankers operating with opaque ownership structures, flags of convenience and limited insurance, used to move Russian oil despite G7 and EU price caps and other restrictions. Analysts estimate that this fleet has expanded markedly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as Moscow seeks to maintain export revenues while avoiding Western scrutiny.
The reported strike on Dashan follows earlier attacks on two other tankers, Kairo and Virat, on 29 November, which Kyiv also attributed to Sea Baby drones. Those vessels, also under sanctions, were hit in the Black Sea and were said to have sustained serious damage. Ukrainian officials have presented the campaign against tankers as part of a broader effort to disrupt Russia’s energy revenues and increase the risks and costs associated with carrying Russian crude.
Russia has not commented in detail on the reported Dashan incident. In response to the recent series of tanker attacks, President Vladimir Putin has condemned Ukrainian strikes on commercial shipping as “piracy” and threatened measures to restrict Ukraine’s own access to the Black Sea. Moscow maintains that its oil exports comply with international law and accuses Western states of attempting to weaponise energy markets.
The legal status of attacks on tankers operating in another state’s exclusive economic zone is contested. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal states exercise sovereign rights over natural resources in their exclusive economic zones but do not normally have full jurisdiction over foreign-flagged commercial vessels in transit. Kyiv argues that vessels supporting Russia’s war effort and sanctions evasion are legitimate targets within the broader context of self-defence.
The campaign against the shadow fleet has prompted concern in the maritime industry. Insurers and shipping analysts report rising war-risk premiums for voyages linked to Russian ports and for ships using practices associated with dark fleet operations, such as disabling transponders or conducting ship-to-ship transfers in open waters. Some operators have withdrawn vessels from Russian trades, while others have sought alternative routes or re-flagged ships.
For Ukraine, the reported disabling of Dashan is presented as further evidence of how naval drones can challenge Russian activity far from the front line. For Russia, and for traders still involved in moving its crude, the incident adds to a pattern of growing operational risk in a region that remains central to Moscow’s export strategy.
First published on defencematters.eu.
Risk in European Waters: The Shadow Fleet, Sanctions Evasion and Safety Gaps
