Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Tankers KAIRO & VIRAT with Sea Baby Drones – Nov 2025
Ankara/Kyiv – 30 November 2025
Ukraine escalated its maritime campaign by disabling two large Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers in international waters near Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The strikes delivered another multimillion-dollar setback to Moscow’s sanction-evading oil trade.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Ukrainian Navy, and the elite 13th Main Directorate for Military Counterintelligence conducted the joint operation. They deployed next-generation Sea Baby maritime drones to hit the Gambian-flagged tankers KAIRO and VIRAT on 28–29 November.
SBU footage released on Saturday shows autonomous drones racing across calm seas and ramming explosive warheads into the sterns of both vessels. The blasts created large fireballs and knocked out their propulsion systems.
An SBU official said the two tankers played a major role in Russia’s shadow fleet. According to him, destroying or disabling these ships reduces the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war effort.
Target Details & Damage Assessment
KAIRO (79,999 DWT, built 2002) was the first to be struck on Friday afternoon about 28 nautical miles south of Kocaeli, Turkey. The explosion triggered a major engine-room fire that burned for almost 24 hours. Turkish salvage crews later put out the external flames. The tanker remains without power and lists heavily.
VIRAT (115,340 DWT, built 2018) was hit twice early Saturday roughly 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. The explosions severely damaged its propeller and rudder. The vessel avoided fire. Its crew remains aboard under Turkish Coast Guard supervision.
Both tankers were sailing empty toward Novorossiysk to load crude for India and China. These routes help Russia bypass the G7’s $60-per-barrel price cap.
International Sanctions History
The EU sanctioned KAIRO in July 2025, and the UK followed in October. The United States blacklisted VIRAT in January 2025, and the EU, UK, Canada, and Switzerland later added it to their sanction lists for carrying Russian oil sold above the price cap.
Turkish Response and Regional Fallout
Turkey’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Saturday that “external interventions” caused both incidents. He announced an official investigation. Turkish Coast Guard and salvage teams, including the rescue tug Kurtarma-12 and emergency vessel Nene Hatun, worked through the weekend to secure the area and prevent an environmental spill. Authorities report no oil leakage.
The strikes temporarily halted loading operations at several Russian Black Sea terminals. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s mooring buoy near Novorossiysk also suffered damage in a separate Sea Baby attack on 29 November.
Strategic Implications
Military analysts view the operation as Ukraine’s boldest economic strike so far. It pushes high-intensity drone warfare deeper into Black Sea shipping lanes near the Bosphorus.
Since 2022, Ukrainian maritime drones such as the Sea Baby and MAGURA V5 have sunk or disabled more than 30 Russian naval and commercial vessels. These actions have weakened the Russian Black Sea Fleet without requiring a traditional Ukrainian navy.
The attacks add new pressure to global oil markets. Analysts expect higher insurance premiums for vessels calling at Russian Black Sea ports, increasing hidden costs for Kremlin energy revenues.
As of Sunday evening, Russia’s Defence and Foreign Ministries have not issued statements on the strikes.
Ukrainian officials are expected to release more footage and details in the coming days. Salvage efforts continue under close monitoring by NATO-member Turkey.
Reporting from Kyiv and Istanbul news desks. Verified using maritime intelligence, live AIS data, and official footage.
