Mamai Drones Struck Two Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers in the Black Sea

The Ukrainian Security Service’s (SSU) Mamai naval drones struck two tankers of Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea.

The SSU reported this on the morning of July 16.

The tankers Louise 1 and Banda, which are subject to Ukrainian sanctions and are used to transport Russian oil, were targeted. The operation was executed in coordination with the Navy.

According to the SSU, the Louise 1 transported Russian oil in circumvention of the G7 and EU embargoes, making voyages from ports on the Baltic and Black Seas with its automatic identification system turned off.

In 2026 alone, the vessel transported nearly 3 million metric tons of Urals crude oil.

The tanker Banda also transported Russian crude oil from the ports of Ust-Luga, Kerch, Novorossiysk, and Nakhodka.

During the attack, Russian aircraft attempted to destroy the Mamai naval drones with machine-gun fire and aerial bombs, but the released video shows that these enemy actions were unsuccessful.

Attacks on shadow fleet vessels are aimed at reducing Russia’s oil export revenues, which are used to fund the war against Ukraine.

Last week, the SSU’s Sea Baby naval drone struck the sanctioned tanker Blue in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.