Ukraine drones hit two Russian oil tankers in Black Sea

Ukrainian forces have launched a significant new wave of naval drone attacks against Russian-linked oil tankers in the Black Sea, marking a major escalation in Kyiv's campaign to disrupt Moscow's energy exports and war finances. The strikes, which Ukrainian officials say targeted at least 20 vessels overnight on July 15, follow weeks of intense operations against shipping in the Sea of Azov.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Thursday, July 16, that it had struck two specific tankers, the Louise 1 and the Banda, in a joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy. The SBU stated both vessels are under Ukrainian sanctions and are part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," used to transport oil while evading international sanctions. According to the agency, the Louise 1, a Panama-flagged Suezmax tanker, has transported nearly 3 million tons of Russian Urals crude in 2026 alone, while the Liberia-flagged Banda has moved oil from multiple Russian ports. The SBU said the destruction of such ships systematically deprives the Kremlin of revenue for its war effort.

This expansion of the naval campaign into the Black Sea, a critical export route for Russian crude, was signaled...