On the morning of July 8, the Sea Baby naval drone of the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Blue tanker, part of Russia’s shadow fleet, in the Black Sea.

The SSU announced the operation.

The Security Service of Ukraine carried out another successful special operation. At the time of the strike, the vessel was located near the temporarily occupied city of Yalta, within Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone.

The Sea Baby drone struck the stern of the tanker, causing substantial damage. Russian aircraft attempted to engage the SSU naval drone but failed.

“The Blue tanker is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ukraine for its involvement in transporting Russian oil in circumvention of international sanctions. It belongs to the Suezmax class of large oil tankers used to transport significant volumes of crude oil and petroleum products”, — the SSU stated.

The agency emphasized that targeting vessels of Russia’s shadow fleet is part of a systematic effort to reduce the economic potential of the aggressor state. Russia uses such tankers to evade international sanctions and generate billions of dollars in oil export revenues, which are then used to finance its war against Ukraine.

“Under international law, as well as the laws and customs of war, such vessels constitute entirely legitimate military targets. Every successful strike against them reduces the Kremlin’s oil revenues, increases the cost of Russian military logistics, and weakens Russia’s financial capacity to continue its aggression”, —  the SSU stressed.