Kyiv claims long-range strikes on Russian shadow fleet tanker

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it carried out a series of long-range strikes last week targeting strategic military and fuel-and-energy infrastructure across Russia, including a tanker from Moscow's "shadow fleet."

In a statement, the SBU said one of its Sea Baby maritime drones struck a Suezmax-class tanker operating as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" near the temporarily occupied city of Yalta in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone.

"An SBU Sea Baby maritime drone struck a Suezmax-class tanker belonging to Russia's 'shadow fleet.' The vessel was located near the temporarily occupied city of Yalta in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone. Despite attempts by Russian aircraft to intercept the maritime drone, the Sea Baby successfully hit the tanker's stern. The tanker is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ukraine for transporting Russian oil in circumvention of international restrictions," the SBU said.

The agency also reported striking the Cherkassy oil pumping station in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan, describing it as one of the key facilities of the Transneft-Ural pipeline system. According to the SBU, the facility is located approximately 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) from Ukraine's state border.

The SBU said additional targets included the Krasnaya Zarya oil depot in Russia's Tver region, the Stavropolskaya oil depot in Stavropol Krai, a fuel storage tank and pumping station at the TES-Terminal-1 oil depot in Kerch, the Yaroslavl Oil Refinery and the Yaroslavl oil pumping station in the Yaroslavl region, the Vysotsk marine oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region, and the First Plant oil refinery in the Kaluga region.

By Vafa Guliyeva