An unprecedented operation more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine was carried out by the SBU’s Alpha unit. Aerial drones struck a ship that was not carrying any cargo at the time, meaning the attack posed no threat to the region’s environmental situation, NV sources said.
The Security Service of Ukraine stressed that Russia had been using the vessel QENDIL to circumvent sanctions and generate funds for the war against Ukraine, making it a legitimate target for the Defense Forces.
“As a result of the strike, the tanker QENDIL sustained critical damage and can no longer be used for its intended purpose,” a source familiar with the operation said.
On Dec. 10, NV sources reported that the Security Service of Ukraine and the Navy used Sea Baby maritime drones to attack the Dashan oil tanker from Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea. The vessel sustained critical damage and was put out of action.
On Dec. 18, drones were reported to have attacked the tanker Valeriy Gorchakov in the port of Rostov-on-Don, where a fire broke out aboard the ship.