Marine drones hit a shadow fleet tanker in the Black Sea

Sources in the SBU say that the ship was heading to Novorossiysk

Ukrainian naval drones hit the Dashan oil tanker in the Black Sea , which belongs to the so-called “shadow fleet” of Russia. This was reported by Ukrayinska Pravda and Ukrinform, citing sources in the Security Service of Ukraine. According to the intelligence service, the ship, flying the flag of the Comoros, was sailing in the exclusive economic zone of Ukraine in the direction of Novorossiysk with the transponder turned off and at maximum speed.

“As a result of the attack, the tanker received critical damage. The video shows powerful explosions in the stern area. According to preliminary information, the ship is out of action,” a source told Ukrayinska Pravda.

According to Ukrainian sources, the operation was jointly carried out by the 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence of the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy.

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The strike on the tanker was confirmed by a telegram channel close to the Russian Ministry of Defense

The Rybar telegram channel, close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, also reported an attack on the tanker. The ship is flying the Gambian flag, the post says.

“About two hours ago, Ukrainian unmanned boats attacked a new civilian ship. The tanker Dashan flying the Gambian flag was hit by three BECs. The ship is under sanctions as part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet ,” writes Rybar.

According to the channel, the extent of the damage is still unclear, and during the attack “a British reconnaissance aircraft was operating in the air in the western Black Sea.” There have been no official comments on the incident yet.

A series of attacks and Turkey's reaction

Dashan became the fourth civilian ship attacked by Ukraine over the past two weeks. On November 28, maritime drones hit the tankers Kairos and Virat off the coast of Turkey. On December 2, the Turkish Ministry of Transport reported an attack on another Russian tanker - Mersin - in the Black Sea. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the strikes.

Detention of a “shadow fleet” vessel in Odessa and new EU sanctions

Earlier on Wednesday, December 10, it became known that SBU officers detained a foreign cargo ship in the port of Odessa , which, according to the intelligence service, is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The owner of the vessel is under sanctions from Ukraine and is alleged to have regularly changed the name of the vessel and formal beneficiaries in third countries to circumvent restrictions.

A cargo ship flying the flag of an unnamed African country arrived in Odessa to load a shipment of steel pipes. According to the SBU, before the war, the ship called at the port of Sevastopol at least seven times and exported agricultural products from the annexed Crimea to North Africa.

On board at the time of the arrest were the captain and 16 crew members - citizens of several Middle Eastern countries. A criminal case was initiated, the ship was arrested with the prospect of confiscation.

Ukraine and its partners have already imposed sanctions against several hundred vessels of the “shadow fleet”. As a Radio Liberty correspondent reports, on Friday the EU will, in all likelihood, add 43 more vessels to the sanctions list .

Photo: The moment of the attack on the Dashan ship, December 10, 2025. Marinetraffic

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