SBU Sea Baby Drones Cripple Russian "Shadow Fleet" Tanker in Black Sea Exclusive Economic Zone

By Juba Global News Network | December 10, 2025

In a carefully coordinated night operation between December 9 and 10, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) delivered what might end up being the most decisive blow yet against Russia’s sanctions-dodging “shadow fleet.” SBU special units, deploying two upgraded Sea Baby maritime drones, targeted and severely damaged the Dashan (IMO 9299599, flag: Panama)—a 114,000-ton crude oil tanker—while it was anchored within Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone in the northwestern Black Sea. Three independent SBU sources confirmed to Juba Global News Network that the attack caused several blasts along the starboard side, setting off a fire that burned for over six hours and left the vessel heavily listing. Satellite images snapped at 06:40 UTC on December 10 show the Dashan encircled by an oil slick about 4 km long, with firefighting tugs visibly struggling to contain the raging flames.

A Key Player in Moscow’s Illicit Oil Trade

The Dashan is far from just another tanker. Though officially flying Panama’s flag, it’s really run by Dubai-based Sun Ship Management (almost universally seen as a Sovcomflot front), making it a core part of the infamous “dark fleet” that’s hauled more than 600 million barrels of Russian crude and fuel since the West’s price caps kicked in back in December 2022. Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence indicates the Dashan alone’s managed at least 27 runs this year, ferrying Urals crude from Russian Baltic and Black Sea ports to refineries in India and China, usually with its AIS transponder switched off to hide its whereabouts. Before the attack, its last reported position was off Novorossiysk, where it loaded 730,000 barrels of crude on December 5.

The Weapon: Sea Baby 2025 Variant

This strike used the latest Sea Baby unmanned surface vessel (USV) model, featuring:

An 850 kg high-explosive warhead (almost twice what the 2024 version carried)
Satellite and inertial guidance for attacks far beyond the operator’s sight
Real-time, 4K low-light video feed
Anti-jamming suite for electronic warfare
A top speed of 85 km/h and a range of over 1,000 km

SBU footage, given to select media, shows two Sea Babies racing toward the anchored tanker under the cover of night, then exploding nearly together against the engine room and the forward cargo holds. The double blasts tore open multiple tanks, triggering a fire that was impossible to control.

Strategic and Economic Fallout

Immediate Market Impact
Brent crude futures surged 2.4% in early December 10 trading, with traders now factoring in a steeper risk premium on Russian seaborne oil exports. Insurance underwriters from the International Group of P&I Clubs have already tagged the northwestern Black Sea as a heightened war-risk “listed area,” so insurance premiums there are almost certain to spike.
Blow to the Shadow Fleet
This is the first time a Ukrainian strike has managed to cripple a large crude carrier tied to the shadow fleet. Up until now, Ukraine’s maritime drone attacks had focused on smaller product tankers and Russian military vessels. The Dashan incident makes it clear that Kyiv can now threaten even the biggest tankers Moscow relies on to dodge G7 sanctions.
Environmental Consequences
Ukraine’s naval intelligence estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 tons of crude have already spilled, creating a slick that’s drifting southwest, heading toward Romania’s Danube Delta. Bucharest has put emergency response teams on high alert, while environmental NGOs are warning that fisheries and tourism could face long-lasting damage.

Parallel Operation: Seizure of Grain Smuggler

On the same night, in a related mission, SBU boarding squads—supported by Ukrainian Navy Gyurza-M artillery boats—intercepted and seized the Togo-flagged bulk carrier Zafar (IMO 9109988) 40 nautical miles south of Odesa. That ship was carrying 27,000 tons of wheat harvested in Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, bound for Syria. The paperwork claimed the cargo was from Kazakhstan, but those documents were forged. The Zafar and its 14 crew members (mostly Syrian and Indian nationals) are now being escorted into Odesa for prosecution under Ukraine’s wartime plunder laws.

Kyiv’s Expanding Naval Strategy

These twin actions really show how fast Ukraine’s naval strategy is changing: although they lack a traditional blue-water fleet, Kyiv’s managed to turn the Black Sea into a place where Russian commercial and military shipping is under constant threat. Since the introduction of Sea Baby and Magura V5 drones in 2023, Ukraine has:

Sunk or disabled 28 Russian warships and support vessels
Damaged or destroyed 14 tankers in the shadow fleet
Forced Russia to pull most of its Black Sea Fleet from Crimea to Novorossiysk
Re-opened a humanitarian grain corridor that’s shipped out more than 68 million tons of food

Moscow’s Response

Russia’s Ministry of Defense acknowledged the Dashan attack, but insisted the vessel “remained afloat and under control.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the strike “an act of maritime terrorism” and promised retaliation. A few hours later, Russian forces fired off 87 Shahed-type drones and six Iskander-M missiles at Odesa and Mykolaiv, wounding nine civilians and damaging port facilities.

Looking Ahead

With the Trump administration about to take office in January 2026—hinting at a push for quick ceasefire talks—Ukraine seems determined to maximize its leverage before the front lines potentially freeze. Hitting such a valuable shadow-fleet tanker sends a very clear message: even if things settle on land, Kyiv can keep imposing steep, asymmetric costs on Russia’s economy for years to come. Or as one senior SBU officer, who asked not to be named, put it to Juba Global News Network: “We’ve made the Black Sea into a nightmare for Russian shipping. And honestly, we’re just getting started.”

SBU Sea Baby Drones Cripple Russian “Shadow Fleet” Tanker in Black Sea Exclusive Economic Zone