Ukrainian Sea Drones Strike Three Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers Near Turkey's Black Sea Coast
Three tankers linked to Russia's shadow fleet were attacked by Ukrainian sea drones on May 28, 2026, near Turkey's northern Black Sea coast, prompting Ankara to dispatch coast guard vessels. The Palau-flagged James II was struck in the engine room about 80 km north of Turkeli, while the Sierra Leone-flagged Altura and Velora were hit during a ship-to-ship transfer. No casualties were reported among the crews.
Three tankers linked to Russia's shadow fleet were attacked by Ukrainian sea drones on May 28, 2026, near Turkey's northern Black Sea coast, prompting Ankara to dispatch coast guard vessels to the area. No casualties were reported among the crews.
The Palau-flagged tanker James II was struck by a drone while sailing in ballast approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the Turkish district of Turkeli, and about 77 kilometers (48 miles) from the Bosphorus Strait, according to shipping agency Tribeca, cited by Türkiye Today. The drone hit the vessel's engine room; 20 crew members were aboard at the time of the attack.
Two additional tankers – Altura and Velora, both sailing under the Sierra Leone flag – were attacked in a nearby area while conducting a ship-to-ship cargo transfer operation. Both vessels were traveling without cargo.
Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said all three vessels are part of Russia's shadow fleet – a network of aging tankers and opaque shipping operators Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting oil. According to HUR, the shadow fleet accounts for up to 30% of Russia's seaborne oil exports. Intelligence officials estimate that a single tanker shipment can carry oil worth up to $70 million.
All three ships had previously been sanctioned over their involvement in transporting Russian oil exports. Altura and Velora had carried cargoes linked to Russian state oil giant Rosneft and were placed under EU sanctions on Oct. 24, 2025. The vessels were later sanctioned by the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Canada. Since November 2025, both tankers have reportedly been operated by Turkish company Pergamon Denizcilik Isletmeleri. The James II tanker had been involved in exporting Russian oil and petroleum products from Russian ports since June 2024; the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel in May 2025.
The latest incident follows a similar Ukrainian operation on May 3, 2026, when two shadow fleet tankers were struck near the entrance to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.