A Ukrainian security official announced on Saturday that his country was responsible for targeting two Russian oil tankers belonging to the "shadow fleet" with unmanned surface vessels off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea. The term "shadow fleet" refers to Russia's aging oil tankers, which are used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that the operation was carried out by the Secrety Service of Ukraine  (SBU) in conjunction with the navy. "Video footage" shows that the two tankers sustained significant damage after being targeted and are now effectively out of service. This will be a major blow to Russian oil shipments," the official added, without specifying when the attack occurred.

The tanker, the Firat, sustained minor damage 

Earlier on Saturday, Turkey said an unmanned vessel attacked a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker off the Turkish Black Sea coast, after the ship had initially been attacked late Friday. The Turkish Transport Ministry said in a statement that the tanker, the Virat, sustained minor damage after the attack, but was in a stable condition and its crew was safe.

It added: "The tanker Virat, which was attacked by unmanned vessels about 35 miles offshore in the Black Sea, was reportedly attacked again on Saturday morning by unmanned vessels. The Virat sustained minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline." 

An explosion struck the 274-meter-long tanker Kairos

The Turkish Ministry of Transport announced that an explosion struck the 274-meter-long tanker Kairos, causing a fire, while it was sailing in the Black Sea from Egypt en route to Russia. The ministry added that two rescue boats, a tugboat, and a relief vessel were immediately dispatched to the scene, noting that all 25 crew members were rescued and are safe.

An "external collision" that caused a fire 

The Turkish Maritime Affairs Directorate stated that the Kairos was en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk when it reported an "external collision" that caused a fire while it was 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast.It also indicated that another tanker, the 244-meter-long Virat, was also struck by an explosion while sailing 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast further east in the Black Sea. The directorate explained that it had detected heavy smoke in the engine room, but clarified that all 20 crew members were safe.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said he had been informed that the two explosions were the result of an "external impact. "We are very sensitive about this issue," Uraloğlu added in a television interview, given that the explosions occurred near the Turkish coast.

Two tankers were not carrying oil at the time 

The Bosphorus Strait, a key waterway in Turkey for trade in essential goods, including Russian oil shipped from Black Sea ports, remained open to commercial traffic for most of the war in Ukraine.

Turkish authorities said the two tankers were not carrying oil at the time and there was no risk of pollution. The Tribeca shipping agency reported that the tanker Kairos was flying the Gambian flag, adding that shipping traffic through the strait was continuing. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group shows that both tankers are on a list of vessels subject to sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian attack is the latest in a series of  Russian Ships attacks 

The Ukrainian attack is the latest in a series of mysterious attacks on ships linked to Russia this year. In one incident last July, an explosion on board the tanker Eco Wizard caused an ammonia leak. The company Kairos is subject to sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom, while the United States and the EU have blacklisted the company Firat.

Over the past few years, there have been incidents of ships colliding with mines in the Black Sea, and some mines have been spotted floating in the water. Following an explosion on the tanker Vilamoura last June, Ukrainian military intelligence released a report on the incident without further comment.

Related : A Gambian-flagged tanker has caught fire in the Black Sea off Turkey’s coast

A powerful fleet of long-range naval

Ukraine has developed a powerful fleet of long-range naval and air-launched drones capable of targeting Russian warships, ports, and infrastructure in the depths of the Black Sea, compensating for its lack of a conventional navy.

The Kairos is a relatively small Suezmax-class oil tanker that has been sanctioned by the UK and the EU for transporting Russian oil, but not by the United States.Its previous voyage had departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to the Indian port of Paradip, carrying Russian Urals crude. The tanker was en route back to the Russian port to load its next cargo, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

The Kairos , Ukraine , Ukrainian security official  , two Russian oil tankers, shadow fleet,  coast of Turkey ,Russian-Ukrainian war.  Virat,  Black Sea , Egypt , Indian port of Paradip