Ukraine escalated its maritime campaign against Russian oil infrastructure this weekend, with naval drones striking two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed toward port to load crude destined for foreign markets.

According to a Ukrainian Security Service official speaking with Reuters on Saturday, the tankers Kairos and Virat were empty when attacked, en route to Novorossiysk—a critical Russian Black Sea oil terminal that serves as a major export hub.

Direct Hit Leaves Vessels Inoperable

Video footage released to Reuters captured the dramatic strikes, showing naval drones racing toward their targets before explosions erupted on both vessels, igniting fires.

"Both tankers suffered serious damage and were essentially rendered inoperable after being struck," the official said in a written statement to Reuters. "This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation."

Taking Aim at Moscow's Shadow Fleet

The strikes underscore Ukraine's broader strategy to disrupt what it calls Russia's "shadow fleet"—a collection of hundreds of aging, poorly regulated vessels that help Moscow circumvent Western sanctions by transporting oil to international buyers. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on Western allies to take stronger action against these ships.

Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure reported that Kairos caught fire while traveling from Egypt to Russia, though all crew members were safely evacuated. The deck fire was extinguished overnight, but enclosed spaces remained under inspection and cooling procedures. The ministry added that Virat was struck again early morning, sustaining minor damage to its starboard side.

Part of Wider Energy War

These maritime strikes fit into a months-long campaign by Ukraine targeting Russian oil infrastructure with long-range aerial drones, reaching deep behind front lines to hit refineries. Russia has responded by intensifying attacks on Ukrainian power facilities, turning energy infrastructure into a central battlefield.

The attacks didn't go unnoticed by Turkey, which expressed concern about the strikes on the Gambian-flagged vessels occurring within its Exclusive Economic Zone on Friday. Oncu Keceli, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, wrote on X that the incidents "posed serious risks to navigation, life, property, and environmental safety in the region."

Ankara continues coordinating with relevant parties "for the purpose of preventing the spread of the war across the Black Sea and its further escalation," Keceli added.