Russian Oil Tanker Virat Struck by Unmanned Drone in Black Sea, Crew Issues Mayday

A dramatic distress call from the crew of the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker Virat—"This is VIRAT. Help needed! Drone attack! Mayday!" —echoed across open radio frequencies on November 29, 2025, as Ukrainian unmanned maritime drones struck the vessel for the second time in 24 hours, severely disrupting Russia's efforts to evade Western sanctions on its oil exports. The Gambian-flagged Virat, capable of carrying 13,000 deadweight tons of crude, was hit approximately 35 nautical miles off Turkey's Black Sea coast near the Bosphorus Strait, suffering minor damage to its starboard side above the waterline but remaining afloat and stable with its 25 crew members safe and uninjured, according to Turkey's Transport Ministry. The attack followed a similar strike late on November 28 that ignited a fire in the ship's engine room, forcing it to drift while awaiting orders in the Black Sea en route to Russia's Novorossiysk port for loading.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) claimed responsibility through its 13th Main Directorate for Military Counterintelligence in a joint operation with the navy, deploying upgraded Sea Baby naval drones equipped with enhanced warheads capable of long-range strikes. The Virat, sanctioned by the U.S. in January 2025 and subsequently by the EU, UK, Switzerland, and Canada, is part of Moscow's "shadow fleet"—a network of aging, often uninsured vessels sailing under flags of convenience like Gambia's to transport sanctioned Russian oil and generate billions in revenue for the war effort. A companion tanker, the St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged Kairos (also EU-sanctioned in July 2025), was simultaneously targeted in the initial assault, exploding in its engine room and beginning to sink, with its 25 crew evacuated safely, but the vessel's fate is uncertain as it poses an environmental hazard if laden with oil.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu described the incidents as resulting from "external impacts," potentially from mines, rockets, drones, or unmanned underwater vehicles, and dispatched rescue teams to maintain a safe distance while assessing the damage. Both tankers had transited the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea earlier in the week, part of a convoy of sanctioned vessels shuttling Russian crude, highlighting the vulnerability of these "ghost ships" to Kyiv's asymmetric maritime warfare tactics that have sunk or disabled over 30 shadow fleet vessels since 2022. The strikes, occurring amid stalled peace talks and Russia's recent massive drone barrages on Ukrainian cities, underscore Ukraine's strategy of economic strangulation, potentially denying Moscow up to $70 million in oil revenue per tanker if they had loaded successfully.

Also Read: Pahargaon Police Station Secures India’s Second-Top Spot, HM Amit Shah Honors Inspector Elias

As the Virat drifts under tow toward safer waters, the incident has drawn international scrutiny, with environmental watchdogs warning of spill risks from the aging fleet's poor maintenance standards and calls for expanded sanctions to cover insurers and ports facilitating these operations. Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as "terrorism" but provided no immediate response on the vessels' status, while Ukrainian officials framed the operation as a "justified response" to Moscow's Black Sea blockade and energy infrastructure strikes. The episode intensifies pressure on global shipping lanes, where shadow fleet traffic has surged 20% this year despite G7 price caps, forcing reroutes and higher insurance premiums that indirectly fund the Kremlin's war machine.

Also Read: Hope for Peace Rises as Ukraine Delegation Travels to US for Crucial Talks