Overview
- Ukraine said a Navy unit used two explosive uncrewed boats Wednesday to hit the tanker Marquise in the Black Sea, and it is still assessing the damage.
- The strike damaged the stern near the propeller and engine room, and a Navy spokesperson later said the vessel likely lost propulsion without sinking.
- The Cameroon-flagged ship was empty and drifting about 210 kilometers southeast of Tuapse with its tracking signal off, likely waiting for loading at sea.
- Ukrainian intelligence links the ship to Russia’s shadow fleet run by UAE-based Lidoil DMCC, and the vessel is under sanctions by Ukraine, the UK, the EU, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Canada.
- The attack came as Ukraine targeted an oil pumping site near Perm and Russia claimed to have intercepted 98 drones, pointing to a wider effort to strain Russian fuel logistics.