Ukrainian forces struck the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Dashan in the Black Sea on December 10, 2025, in an operation carried out with unmanned surface vehicles, according to Russian outlet Rybar and independent footage authenticated by BBC and CNN analysts. The tanker, part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” had been operating with its transponder off while transiting through Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone.

The Dashan was reportedly en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk port to load oil when multiple Ukrainian maritime drones made contact with the vessel. Video released shortly after the attack shows repeated impacts against the tanker's hull, consistent with Ukraine’s expanding campaign to degrade Russian logistics and energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian Security Service officials described the strike as part of an effort to disrupt Russia’s covert maritime supply network, which has been used to circumvent sanctions and transport oil through high-risk areas of the Black Sea. The incident adds to a series of recent Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian naval assets, fuel infrastructure, and vessels linked to sanctioned energy operations.

Russia has not confirmed the extent of the damage, but the strike underscores Kyiv’s continued ability to conduct deep maritime operations despite ongoing pressure on its naval capabilities.