Ukraine Launches Naval Drone Strike on Russian Shadow Fleet

On 16 July, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it carried out a naval drone strike against the crude oil tankers Louise I and Banda in the Black Sea as part of its campaign against Russia's "shadow fleet" and disrupt Russia's oil exports and reduce the revenue used to finance its military operations. The operation, conducted jointly with the Ukrainian Navy using Mamai sea drones, reportedly targeted the vessels for transporting Russian crude oil despite Western sanctions. The SBU said Russian aircraft attempted to intercept the drones but failed.