A tanker identified as the Dashan, sailing under the Gambian flag and previously known as Eurochampion, was attacked Friday morning in the Black Sea, according to a report by Rybar, a Telegram channel close to Russia’s Defense Ministry. The channel said three unmanned surface vessels had targeted the ship. Dashan is listed under international sanctions as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which Moscow relies on to continue transporting oil and generating revenue amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
According to Rybar, the group of naval drones left Ukraine’s Odesa Region during the night and moved toward the eastern Black Sea, bypassing the Crimean Peninsula. There was no immediate information on the extent of the damage.
Data from the maritime tracking service Starboard reviewed by The Insider show that Dashan came to a stop around 12 p.m. GMT on Friday, Dec. 5. As of 4:20 p.m. GMT on that date, it had remained motionless roughly 85 nautical miles from the Crimean port of Feodosia.
Rybar also noted that a British RC-135W reconnaissance aircraft had been operating in the western Black Sea at the time of the attack. After the strike, the aircraft shifted toward the area and was patrolling along Crimea’s southern coast when the post was published.
This marks the fourth attack in two weeks against vessels transporting Russian cargo in the Black Sea. Rybar claimed that Ukrainian naval drones have become less effective against coastal targets, where they are intercepted before reaching their mark, and that they are therefore now being used against civilian maritime targets, which have virtually no protection against such strikes.
Insurance costs for shipping in the Black Sea have tripled over the past month, and brokers expect further increases following Ukrainian attacks on vessels and ports in the region. The Black Sea is considered a critical trade corridor for commodities such as grain and oil.