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Submarine Drone Attacks Hit Two Russian Parallel Fleet Ships in the Black Sea and Trigger Explosions That Remove the Vessels from Operation
Two Russian oil tankers from the so-called parallel fleet were hit by Ukrainian submarine drones in the Black Sea and burst into flames. The vessels were part of the group used by the Kremlin to export oil under flags of other countries, a practice adopted to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western powers.
Explosions Remove Ships from Operation
The two vessels were empty at the time of the attack but had the capacity to transport almost $70 million in oil, according to a source from the Ukrainian security service cited by the Kyiv Independent. The official stated that the impact represents a significant blow to Russian oil transportation.
After the explosions, both suffered damages considered critical and were removed from operation. Images released by the security service show a detonation at the front of one of the ships, followed by a ball of orange fire and dense black smoke rising above the water.
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Ships Included on Sanctions Lists
The Kairos and the Virat were the target of a joint operation with the Ukrainian navy. Both were already under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Kairos, at 274 meters, was returning to Russia after delivering crude oil to India, sailing under the flag of Gambia.
Ukrainian Defense Intelligence stated that the clandestine fleet generates substantial revenues for the Kremlin by disguising its operations with third-party flags and structures intended to conceal ownership.
Attacks Occurred Near the Turkish Coast
The explosion that hit the Kairos occurred 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. The Turkish Ministry of Transport reported the immediate dispatch of emergency teams to rescue the 25 crew members. The Virat, which was heading to the port of Novorossiysk for loading, was hit on Saturday morning, 35 nautical miles from the coast.
According to the ministry, the ship faced another detonation hours later. Intense smoke reached the engine room, but the 20 crew members were evacuated safely. The Virat, at 244 meters, was using transportation practices classified as irregular by the OpenSanctions portal.
The vessel, previously registered under the flags of Barbados, Liberia, and Panama, spent part of the year docked in the Black Sea after being placed on the blacklist of the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control. Ukraine has been calling for stricter sanctions against the parallel fleet, identified by the country as a source of funding for the war conducted by President Vladimir Putin.
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