Ukraine used aerial drones to strike the empty Russian oil tanker Qendil in the Mediterranean Sea, marking a first for Kyiv’s efforts against Russian oil shipping, according to an official. The attack caused significant damage to the vessel, which was located over 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, near Crete. While the exact timing and location of the attack were not disclosed, it is part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign against Russian oil refineries and shipping, which has intensified recently.
The tankers like Qendil are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which Ukraine claims is enabling Moscow to export oil and fund its war despite Western sanctions. Russian President Putin has threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea as a response to such attacks, labeling them as piracy. The Qendil was traveling from India to Russia’s Ust Luga port in the Baltic Sea.
The successful strike on the Qendil highlights Ukraine’s expanded use of long-range drones against maritime assets linked to Russia’s oil export network. The Ukrainian official mentioned that the operation used “multi-stage” measures, although details on how the drones reached the ship were not provided. There have been several unexplained incidents involving tankers at Russian ports since late 2024, with Ukraine neither confirming nor denying involvement in these events, which maritime security experts suspect it may have orchestrated. Additionally, a recent drone attack killed two crew members of a Russian tanker.
With information from Reuters
