In a severe aggravation of naval hostilities, Ukraine has practically delivered a major setback to Russia’s crucial oil export “shadow fleet,” a.k.a. the “shadow fleet.” Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) sources have verified that the “Sea Baby” naval drone, which was very advanced, was the one that inflicted critical damage to the oil tanker associated with Russia, the Virat, in the Black Sea.
The attack was part of a larger operation that also included another tanker, the Kairos, and is a clear indicator of Ukraine’s changing and successful way of using asymmetric warfare against Russia’s naval assets.
The SBU is said to have released video footage that shows the unmanned aerial vehicle approaching the hull before a huge blast causes the tanker Virat, which has already been hit, to emit smoke. This deliberate action along the coast of Turkey is meant to hinder Russia’s ability to evade international sanctions and to continue supplying its war machine through the sale of oil.
Ukrainian forces released videos of the operation against the two oilers Kairo and Virat in the Black Sea which tried to reach the Russian coast.
The message is clear:
If you are a shipowner trying to get Russian oil, expect that you will lose your whole ship. pic.twitter.com/Zg91DqbKmZ
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) November 29, 2025
Naval Drone Warfare: Targeting Sanction Evasion
The precision strike against the Virat, as well as Kairos, points to a major change in the Black Sea conflict as the front line now has moved to the high seas and the focus has shifted to economic targets.
The “Virat and the Kairos” were pinpointed as the prime vessels in the Russian “shadow fleet”, a fleet of old oil tankers working under fictitious ownership and often using dubious flags of convenience to transport crude oil from Russia outside the limits of G7 price caps and sanctions.
The capability of the domestically developed Sea Baby drone, which can perform long-range strikes and carry large explosive payloads, signifies that Ukraine can now pose a threat to Russian maritime traffic even far inside the Black Sea, beyond its own shoreline.
Economic Impact: Blacklisting the Oil Supply Chain
The move has a huge economic and geopolitical impact. At the moment of the incident, both Virat and Kairos were in the same situation: empty and on their way to Novorossiysk, the Russian port where they were to be loaded with crude.
By crippling these sanctioned vessels, which together might carry oil worth tens of millions of dollars per cycle, Ukraine is indirectly constraining Moscow’s budget.
The drone-operated sea babies’ triumph in this mission exaggerates the risk factor for all ships tied with the shadowy fleet, thus raising Russia’s expenditure on insurance and transport and making it more difficult for the country to export oil, a vital revenue stream for the arming of the invasion. The occurrence emphatically indicates the risk to all the players concerned in refurbishing the oil trade through Russia’s sanctioning of oil imports.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
