Turkish-owned Oil Tanker Sinking after Attack Blamed on Ukrainian Sea Drones

The Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Mersin is sinking off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, after reportedly being hit overnight by several Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels.

As per reports, the tanker is linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, marking what would be the third Ukraine-attributed strike on a Russia-connected vessel in one week.

The incident follows Ukraine’s November 28 Sea Baby drone attacks on the Kairos and Virat in international waters off Turkey’s Black Sea coast. A Ukrainian Security Service source told The Kyiv Independent the drones disabled both tankers, which could have carried nearly $70 million worth of oil. The strikes hit 28 to 35 nautical miles off Turkey’s Kocaeli province, far beyond Ukraine’s earlier operational envelope.

The Kairos ignited, forcing Turkish coast guards to evacuate 25 crew. The Virat sustained damage but stayed afloat. Military researcher ChrisO_wiki noted on X that impacts to the stern indicated an intent to cripple propulsion, not sink the ships, likely to avoid backlash from partners.

Both tankers appear in the OpenSanctions database for sanctions-evasion schemes. The Virat was sanctioned by the United States in January 2025, then by the EU, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada. The Kairos was sanctioned by the EU in July 2025. Bloomberg reported the Kairos had just delivered Urals crude to India, while the Virat had been mostly idle since its blacklisting.

Observers had earlier warned that the scale of the Russia–Ukraine war could inevitably spill into surrounding regions. That spillover is now visible at sea.

Ukraine’s Sea Baby platform has become central to Kyiv’s maritime campaign. “Naval drones are now a crucial component of the Ukrainian navy and the primary strike weapon at sea,” said Serhii Kuzan of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center. According to the Associated Press, Ukraine unveiled an upgraded Sea Baby in October with 1,500-kilometer range, a roughly 2,000-kilogram payload, and AI-enabled targeting.

The tanker attacks preceded a Ukrainian drone strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in Novorossiysk, halting loading operations. The facility has been attacked three times in recent months. The strikes on both transport ships and loading hubs indicate a coordinated effort to squeeze Russia’s top revenue stream. The International Energy Agency reported Russia earned $13.1 billion from crude and oil products in October, a year-on-year drop of $2.3 billion.

Reuters reported Russia’s oil and gas revenue is expected to plunge 35% in November to 520 billion rubles ($6.59 billion), part of a broader decline linked to cheaper crude and a stronger ruble.