A Comoros-flagged tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet has become the third such vessel hit by a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, as Kyiv steps up efforts to disrupt Moscow’s seaborne oil trade.
According to reports, the Dashan was struck inside Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone while sailing toward the Russian oil terminal at Novorossiysk. Video posted online indicates the tanker was not carrying cargo at the time of the strike.
The attack on Dashan follows earlier sea drone strikes on the tankers Kairos and Virat on 28 and 29 November, forming a pattern of operations against ships suspected of transporting Russian oil in breach of Western sanctions.
❗️Sea drones attacked the 🇷🇺Russian shadow fleet tanker Dashan in the Black Sea.
The vessel, sailing under the flag of the Comoros, was moving in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone toward the Novorossiysk port terminal. It was traveling at maximum speed with its transponder… pic.twitter.com/8RKKLGguJy
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) December 10, 2025
These incidents have unsettled maritime players, particularly in the insurance sector, with war-risk premiums for vessels trading to the Black Sea reported to have risen sharply.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded with a series of warnings, pledging more attacks on Ukrainian facilities and vessels. He said Russia could target tankers belonging to states that support Ukraine and threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to the sea.
Large volumes of grain, crude and oil products move through the Black Sea, whose coastline is shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine.
The shadow fleet, made up largely of older tankers with opaque ownership and operating arrangements, has become central to Russia’s efforts to keep oil exports flowing despite Western sanctions. By striking these vessels, Ukraine is aiming to disrupt that trade route and increase economic pressure on Moscow’s war effort.
