Watch: Third Russian Oil Tanker Hit By Sea Drone In Black Sea

Ukraine has carried out another drone attack on a Russia-linked so-called ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in the Black Sea on Wednesday, which marks a third such attack in less than two weeks, and which seeks to disrupt Moscow’s maritime oil trade.

Local reports have identified the Comoros Islands-flagged Dashan as being struck while sailing en route to the Russian port terminal of Novorossiysk. The Ukrainians were quick to release drone-perspective video confirming the attack, and the vessel appeared to be unladen at the time.

The some $30 million tanker “sustained critical damage and was completely put out of action – powerful explosions can be clearly seen in video footage shown by the sources,” according to Ukrainian media.

Ukraine’s SBU security service says its Sea Baby naval drones today struck another Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Black Sea.

Video from an SBU source purports to show the oil tanker “Dashan” being hit by the attack drone and explosions in the stern area. “The vessel,… pic.twitter.com/mtfBqYe1gQ

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 10, 2025

The Dashan was under US-led sanctions, as well as sanctions by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland.

When the tanker Kairo was hit late last month it was towed to Bulgaria, but it was also deemed a complete loss.

Reuters has recently noted that “War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have spiked again, with insurers reviewing policies daily as the conflict in Ukraine spills into sea lanes, five shipping and insurance sources said on Thursday.”

Moscow is outraged at recent attacks on tankers transporting Russian oil. Also on Wednesday, a cargo vessel carrying grain from Crimea was detained by Ukrainian authorities at Odessa port:

Ukrainian security officials have detained a cargo vessel in the port of Odesa that authorities say is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Wednesday.

The ship, whose name was not disclosed, arrived under the flag of an African country to load a shipment of steel pipes. The captain and 16 crew members holding passports from unspecified Middle Eastern countries were on board at the time of the seizure.

According to the SBU, the vessel illegally transported nearly 7,000 tons of Russian grain from annexed Crimea to North Africa in January 2021.

The SBU claims it found evidence of “illegal operations in ports on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory” after a search of the ship.

Apparently Ukrainian authorities intend to seize the ship’s cargo altogether, and transfer them Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), a government entity which deals with property linked to corruption or other crimes. So naturally, Moscow is not going to look kindly on fresh offers to mutually stop attacks on energy infrastructure.

President Putin has warned he’s ready to step up military attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in retaliation for these brazen attack on Black Sea shipping.