Sea Baby Naval Drone Strikes Sanctioned Tanker BLUE Near Yalta

On the morning of July 8, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) struck the BLUE oil tanker in the Black Sea using a Sea Baby drone.

The attack was launched as part of a 40-day operation aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war, the agency reported.

The tanker is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.” At the time of the attack, the vessel was located near occupied Yalta, within Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone.

The Sea Baby naval drone struck the vessel’s stern, causing significant damage. During the special operation, enemy aircraft attempted to operate against the Ukrainian drone but were unsuccessful.

The tanker is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and Ukraine. The restrictions were introduced due to its involvement in transporting Russian oil in violation of international sanctions.

According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine War&Sanctions database, BLUE uses the Cameroonian flag to evade sanctions.

On the night of July 8, the Unmanned Systems Forces struck nine tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Sea of Azov.