Turkish Captain Hospitalised After Ukrainian Drone Attack On Oil Tanker Off Black Sea

A Turkish Captain was badly injured and was hospitalised after a Ukrainian drone targeted his oil tanker off the Black Sea, according to Russian Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko.

The Liberian-flagged tanker was hit close to the shores of Krasnodar Krai, which houses an oil terminal and naval base in the Novorossiysk Port.

However, details like the extent of damage to the vessel or when exactly the drone attack happened have not been revealed, and Ukraine has also not commented on the Russian media reports and allegations.

Drone attacks have been used from the beginning by Ukraine to target Russian shadow fleet tankers in the region, including in the Mediterranean Sea and the Turkish Black Sea coast, since Moscow invaded Kyiv.

Since the conflict began, Ukraine has urged allies to bring about strict legislation so that ships which are a part of Russia’s shadow fleet can be confiscated along with their oil.

France has taken measures to strengthen its grip on the illegal operations of the shadow fleet of tankers in its waters. It began intercepting suspected vessels in September 2025, and continued the same in January and March 2026 to disrupt their operational networks.

In March, Belgium also conducted an operation with France to confiscate a sanctioned Russian oil tanker sailing under the flag of Guinea.

In the same month, the United Kingdom announced that its armed forces and authorised law enforcement officers will board suspected tankers sailing in its waters in an attempt to crack down on shadow fleet vessels, which comprise old, obsolete ships sailing with opaque ownership and pose a threat to the marine environment.

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