The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in cooperation with the Naval Forces (Navy), carried out another successful operation in the Black Sea. This time, the targets were two Russian tankers — 'Louise 1' and 'Banda' — which are part of the so-called Russian 'shadow fleet'. Both vessels were destroyed using 'Mamai' sea drones.
Target of the strike: sanctioned vessels
The SBU emphasized that both tankers are under Ukrainian sanctions and are actively involved in the illegal transportation of Russian crude oil. In particular, 'Louise 1' was used to export oil from ports in the Baltic and Black Seas during the period of the G7 and EU embargo. The vessel regularly turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) to hide its routes.
According to the intelligence service, in 2026 alone, 'Louise 1' transported nearly 3 million tons of Russian Urals crude oil. The second tanker, 'Banda', was also engaged in transporting crude oil from the ports of Ust-Luga, Kerch, Novorossiysk, and Nakhodka.
Counteraction by Russian aviation
During the operation, Russian aviation attempted to disrupt the attack. Aircraft opened machine-gun fire and dropped bombs in the area where the drones were operating. However, these actions did not prevent the Ukrainian forces from completing their mission — both tankers were successfully hit.
Impact of the attacks on the Russian economy
The SBU stated that every strike on the 'shadow fleet' directly undermines Russia's ability to finance its aggression. 'Every such vessel, as an element of Russia's war machine, is a legitimate target,' the intelligence service noted.
This is not the first such operation. Previously, RBK-Ukraine reported on the results of a 40-day SBU campaign, during which numerous 'shadow fleet' vessels were hit. In just one night, 14 such ships were destroyed.
Russia's reaction: redeployment of air defense from the Arctic
In response to the growing activity of Ukrainian drones, Russia began to massively redeploy air defense systems from the Arctic to the southern regions. This indicates that Kyiv continues to effectively use unmanned technologies to strike critical enemy targets.
