Ukraine's naval drones are gunning for Russia's 'shadow fleet.' A security source says a tanker just suffered a critical hit.

"Ukrainian forces used naval drones packed with explosives to attack an oil tanker identified as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Black Sea on Wednesday, a security source told Business Insider. The naval drone strike on the tanker, Dashan, marks the third such attack in less than two weeks as Ukraine ramps up its long-range strike campaign against Russia's energy sector, increasingly gunning for ships at sea in addition to land-based oil facilities."

"Sea Baby naval drones hit the tanker and caused "critical damage" to the vessel, with early indications indicating that the strike completely disabled the vessel, the source in the Security Service of Ukraine, the country's main internal security agency, revealed on Wednesday. The SBU source, only authorized to speak anonymously to discuss sensitive military developments, said the Dashan was flying the Comoros flag and moving through Ukraine's exclusive economic zone in the direction of Novorossiysk, a Russian port city and major oil terminal."

"The tanker was sailing at maximum speed with its transponder turned off, the security source said. They added that the attack was carried out in cooperation with the Ukrainian navy and shared footage captured by the Sea Baby drones showing multiple hits on the ship. Several Western countries and the European Union have sanctioned the $30 million tanker, which has been used for Russian oil exports and is known to sail with its transponder switched off, Ukraine's HUR military intelligence agency said."

Ukrainian Sea Baby naval drones packed with explosives struck the Dashan oil tanker in the Black Sea, reportedly causing critical damage and disabling the vessel. The strike is the third attack on so-called shadow fleet ships in under two weeks as Ukraine intensifies long-range operations targeting Russia's energy sector, including maritime shipping and land-based facilities. The Dashan was flying the Comoros flag, moving through Ukraine's exclusive economic zone toward Novorossiysk with its transponder off and at maximum speed. Ukrainian security services cooperated with the navy and released drone footage showing multiple hits. Several Western countries and the EU have sanctioned the tanker for facilitating Russian oil exports.

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