From 6-8 January 2026, Ukraine reportedly struck a Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker off Turkiye while U.S. authorities advanced criminal proceedings against its crew detained in the Atlantic. These actions demonstrate increasing operational and regulatory risks for sanctions-evading oil transport.
Recent Ukrainian naval drone attacks against Russian shadow fleet tankers on route to Novorossiysk has caused severe delays for oil tankers traveling through the Turkish Straits; war risk insurance premiums have tripled - reaching between 0.5-7.75% of vessel value - with the International Maritime Organization strongly advocating mariner protection as military actions worsen commercial shipping disruptions.
Recent Ukrainian naval drone attacks against Russian shadow fleet tankers on route to Novorossiysk has caused severe delays for oil tankers traveling through the Turkish Straits; war risk insurance premiums have tripled - reaching between 0.5-7.75% of vessel value - with the International Maritime Organization strongly advocating mariner protection as military actions worsen commercial shipping disruptions.
Ukraine’s overland shipping route to the Black Sea has hit yet another significant milestone since.162 million tonnes total shipped across 55 countries since August (including 98 million tonnes of grain exported to 55 nations - reported on December 16).at the same time insurance costs for maritime shipping skyrocketed as the growing risk landscape began to shift, as risk premiums for shipping Russian oil out of the region extended until July 2025.
Ukrainian naval drones targeted two sanctioned Russian tankers of the shadow fleet, MT Kairos and MT Virat, as Kyiv aggressively expanded its campaign against Russia's sanctions-evasion shipping network. The two vessels were attacked on November 28-29th 2025.
Kairos and Virat, both sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tankers were rocked by explosions near Turkey’s coast on November 28-29th 2025, with Ukrainian forces claiming they were behind the attacks using naval drones; all crew were subsequently evacuated after the incidents and act is a demonstration of increased maritime warfare of Russia’s oil targets.
Two Gambian-flagged oil tankers, Kairos and Virat, were attacked by Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea between November 28 and 29, 2025. Both vessels, presenting as an EU and UK sanctioned shadow fleet for transporting Russian oil, were struck by naval drones in what can be described as the second round of attacks against Russian vessels in the Black Sea by Ukraine's SBU security service.