Ukraine has carried out a long-range drone strike against a tanker linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, marking its first confirmed attack this far from the Black Sea. The target was the Oman-flagged aframax tanker Qendil, which was hit in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, more than 2,000 km from Ukrainian territory. The operation has been attributed to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). According to information available to the security firm Vanguard and Ukrainian sources, the 115,400 dwt vessel sustained critical damage and is now considered non-operational. The 2006-built tanker, owned by Qendil Marina, was reportedly empty at the time of the strike, and there have been no reports of injuries or pollution. Kyiv said the vessel had been used to bypass international sanctions and support Russian oil logistics. On that basis, Ukrainian officials classify the ship as a legitimate military target under their wartime assessments. The vessel has been widely described as part of the shadow fleet used to move Russian oil outside the reach of Western controls. There has been no independent confirmation from Russian authorities, and Moscow has not commented publicly on the incident. However, video footage said to show the strike has been circulating on open-source and social media channels, adding weight to Ukrainian claims. Kyiv has claimed similar hits on Russia-linked tankers off Turkey’s Black Sea coast, after two empty oil tankers were hit by explosions. The attack represents a clear expansion of Ukraine’s maritime reach. Until now, Ukrainian drone operations at sea have largely been confined to the Black Sea and, more recently, nearby regions such as the Sea of Azov. Overnight, Ukrainian forces raided a Russian dark fleet tanker, with heavy bomber drones striking the ship repeatedly.The catch: Ukraine’s SBU Alfa team carried out the strike over 2000 km from Ukrainian shores, deep in the Mediterranean Sea. pic.twitter.com/tqD1WwHXq3— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) December 19, 2025 The Qendil's past track via @MarineTraffic likely hit by Ukrainian forces while passing southwest of Crete.(Distance is actually closer to 1500km from Ukraine, 1800 km from Novorossiysk) https://t.co/xLtpdudHIs pic.twitter.com/RMqvnKTOJQ— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) December 19, 2025 googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsRussia Ukraine