Ukrainian drones strike oil tanker on Black Sea coast, Russia says

Prefer on Google by Asami Terajima, The Kyiv Independent news desk The Russian-chartered vessel ANSHUN II, with "Yokohama" fenders prepared and pipelines connected to receive another tanker and transfer Russian crude oil, 20 miles off Ceuta, in Ceuta, Spain, on March 5, 2023. (Antonio Sempere/Europa Press via Getty Images) Ukrainian drones attacked a Liberian-flagged oil tanker off the Black Sea coast, injuring a Turkish captain, Russian officials reported on April 16. The tanker's captain, a Turkish national, has been hospitalized, said Russia's Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko, as cited by Russian state-controlled news agency Ria Novosti. The ship was struck near the coast of Krasnodar Krai, home to a major oil terminal and naval base in the port of Novorossiysk. Petrenko was not quoted elaborating on the extent of the damage to the ship or when exactly the drone strike occurred. Ukraine has not commented on the Russian report as of publication. Long-range Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia's shadow fleet tankers in Russian waters and elsewhere, including in the Mediterranean Sea and Turkey's Black Sea coast , throughout the full-scale war. The shadow fleet consists of tankers that rely on opaque ownership, flags of convenience, and irregular shipping practices to move Russian oil despite Western restrictions. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has repeatedly urged partners to modernize legislation so vessels operating under Russia's shadow fleet can be seized and their oil redirected to support European security. France has actively targeted the shadow fleet in its waters, intercepting vessels in late September 2025, at the end of January, and again in late March as part of wider efforts to disrupt the network. In early March, Belgium conducted a joint operation with France to seize a sanctioned Russian oil tanker operating under the Guinean flag. On March 25, the U.K. announced that its armed forces and law enforcement personnel will be authorized to board Russian shadow fleet vessels in British waters.