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Ukraine Hits Russia’s Shadow Oil Fleet Near Key Export Hub in Black Sea Strike, Video
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Defense Forces, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), struck two Russian oil tankers linked to the country’s shadow fleet near the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk.
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According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 3, the operation targeted vessels used to transport Russian oil. “These tankers were actively used for transporting oil. Now they won’t,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Zelenskyy said the operation was overseen by Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov and involved SBU counterintelligence units alongside Ukraine’s Naval Forces. He described the strikes as part of Ukraine’s continued efforts to impose “sanctions” on Russia’s shadow oil fleet through military means.
The targeted vessels were hit in the waters at the entrance to Novorossiysk, one of Russia’s key Black Sea ports used for oil exports. Ukraine has increasingly focused on disrupting Russia’s maritime logistics and energy revenue streams, including through strikes on port infrastructure, naval assets, and vessels linked to sanctioned trade networks.
Ukraine had already demonstrated its ability to target Russia’s maritime logistics and security infrastructure in the Black Sea using domestically developed naval drones. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on April 29, Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels struck the sanctioned oil tanker MARQUISE roughly 210 kilometers southeast of the Russian port of Tuapse.
The vessel, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, was reportedly drifting without an Automatic Identification System signal—an indicator often associated with attempts to conceal movements during sanctions evasion. Ukrainian officials said the strike targeted the tanker’s engine room and propulsion systems, with damage assessments ongoing.
In a separate operation, Ukraine’s Navy targeted Russian vessels guarding the Kerch Bridge, a key military and logistics route linking Russia to occupied Crimea.
According to the Ukrainian Navy’s press service on April 30, two boats—a Project 12200 Sobol patrol craft and a Project 21980 Grachonok anti-sabotage vessel—were struck by naval drones during a nighttime attack.
Both vessels are used to secure sensitive maritime zones, including the waters around the bridge. Ukrainian officials reported that the strike damaged the boats and caused casualties among Russian crews.
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