Ukrainian naval drones struck and critically damaged the Dashan tanker on December 10, 2025, marking the third attack on Russia’s shadow fleet in two weeks as Kyiv intensifies its campaign against Moscow’s sanctions-evading oil exports.
The Dashan was sailing at maximum speed with its transponders off through Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone when Sea Baby drones hit the vessel’s stern, a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) official told Reuters.
Video footage verified by Reuters showed the unmanned surface vehicles speeding toward the tanker before detonating in balls of flame. The tanker was heading to the Russian port of Novorossiysk to load oil when struck. The SBU official made no mention of casualties.
The Vessel
The Dashan is a 2005-built Suezmax tanker with a capacity of 165,000 deadweight tons. The vessel is under European Union and British sanctions and operates without a known flag registry.
According to maritime records, the tanker is associated with the former Gatik Ship Management fleet and has been sanctioned for suspicious transactions involving Russian oil.
Recent Strikes
The two previous strikes targeted the Kairos and Virat tankers on November 29-30, 2025. Both Gambia-flagged vessels were empty and heading to Novorossiysk when hit by Sea Baby drones off Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
“Over the past two weeks, this is the third tanker of the shadow fleet put out of action that had helped the Kremlin circumvent international sanctions,” the SBU official stated. Ukraine has also been suspected of conducting attacks on at least seven other tankers since December 2024.
Russia’s Shadow Fleet
Russia’s shadow fleet consists of hundreds of tankers used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after the February 2022 invasion. These vessels typically feature obscure ownership, flags of convenience, and irregular insurance arrangements.
Many operate with transponders turned off to avoid detection and tracking. A joint investigation by POLITICO and SourceMaterial documented at least nine instances of shadow fleet vessels leaving oil spills in global waters since 2021.
Insurance Impact
War insurance costs for Black Sea shipping have spiked following the attacks, with insurers reviewing policies daily. Pricing for calls to Russian Black Sea ports jumped more than threefold, from 0.25-0.3% of a vessel’s value to as much as 1%, according to Marsh.
The increases mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs per voyage. For Ukrainian ports, underwriters are now charging similar rates as the perceived risk across both sides of the Black Sea has aligned.
Putin’s Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened last week to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea in response to the tanker attacks, which he characterized as piracy.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke out against the strikes, calling them a “worrying escalation” that threatens navigational safety, lives, and the environment.
