Overview
- Ukrainian officials say a joint SBU–Navy operation used Sea Baby maritime drones to strike the tanker Dashan in Ukraine’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone while it headed toward Novorossiysk with its transponder off.
- The Dashan, identified by Kyiv as part of Russia’s sanctions‑evading shadow fleet and listed under EU and UK sanctions, suffered critical stern damage and was rendered inoperable.
- Footage circulated to media shows drones closing on the hull followed by multiple explosions and thick smoke enveloping the vessel.
- No casualties or oil spill were reported at the time of publication, and Russia had not issued a public comment.
- The strike is the third against such vessels in roughly two weeks, part of a Ukrainian effort to constrain Russia’s oil revenues that has driven up Black Sea war‑risk insurance and heightened scrutiny of clandestine routes.