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Five Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers Damaged After Port Calls—Ukraine Suspected
Five Russian shadow fleet tankers have been struck by unexplained explosions this year after calling at Russian ports, prompting speculation of Ukrainian involvement despite Kyiv’s silence and divided expert opinions. This was reported on July 2 by Financial Times.
A series of deliberate blasts has targeted five separate vessels since January, raising concerns of a coordinated sabotage campaign at sea. Observers note that the attacks bear hallmarks of state-backed operations, though no injuries or environmental harm have been reported.
All five vessels had called at Russian ports weeks before the attacks, prompting some security experts to suspect possible Ukrainian involvement—though Kyiv has not formally commented on these incidents, even as Ukrainian services have carried out covert operations against Russian interests in the past.
Four of the vessels are owned by prominent Greek and Cypriot shipping companies, and in May one of them, the Koala, was added to the EU sanctions list for breaching rules on transporting Russian oil.
Analysts say the pattern of hull breaches and engine-room flooding on vessels such as the Seajewel and Seacharm is consistent with limpet mine attacks—explosive devices affixed below the waterline and detonated by timers. Three sources close to the investigations told Reuters that mines attached to the hulls likely caused blasts on at least two tankers in the Mediterranean, and maritime security sources reported that a limpet mine may have damaged the Vilamoura last week.
Martin Kelly, head of advisory at maritime security firm EOS Risk Group, cautioned that “there remains a range of alternative possibilities including Libyan actors, and other state actors which have the capability and possibly motive.”
Earlier, Ukrainian officials noted that Vilamoura was one of several tankers tied to unexplained blasts after calling at Russian ports, raising concerns over maritime risks and sanctions evasion.
