Overview
- Ukraine’s Security Service said a multi‑stage operation more than 2,000 km from its territory used long‑range aerial drones to hit the tanker in neutral waters.
- Officials said the vessel was empty at the time, posed no environmental risk, and sustained critical damage rendering it inoperable.
- Ship‑tracking data identified the Qendil under Oman’s flag near Crete and off Libya, with reporting that it was sailing from India’s Sikka toward Russia’s Ust‑Luga.
- A video showing explosions on the ship was circulated by a Ukrainian security source, though outlets noted they could not independently verify the footage or the claim.
- There was no immediate public response from Moscow, as maritime analysts framed the strike as a significant extension of Kyiv’s campaign against sanctions‑evading tankers.