Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes targeting Russia’s so‑called “shadow fleet” in international waters, following a long‑range drone attack on an oil tanker in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean, in the first incident of its kind in that region.
In his annual conference speech on Friday, Putin described the assault on Russia’s oil infrastructure as an attempt to raise insurance and shipping costs for the country’s exports, stressing that Moscow will deliver a strong response.
The American magazine Newsweek reported that Kyiv has expanded its operations against Russian oil shipments, a move analysts see as a serious escalation that demonstrates the growing capabilities of Ukraine’s drones and a direct strike on Russia’s sanctions‑hit export network.
Ukraine claimed responsibility for hitting the Kandil tanker, which sails under the flag of Oman, causing severe structural damage. No further details about the operation were disclosed.
According to the magazine, the vessel was empty and traveling from India’s Sikka port to Russia’s Ust‑Luga port, at a time when Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russian oil facilities and transport routes, including drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea and tankers in the Black Sea.
