Ukrainians “are showing the world Russia’s weaknesses” as the elite Alpha unit of the special forces have taken out another oil tanker, this time in the Mediterranean.
Ukrainian drones hit Putin’s shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time causing “critical damage” and the ship is no longer operational.
Ukraine’s Security Services (SBU) told Reuters on Friday that drones struck the Qendil in international waters some 1,243 miles from the frontline.
Social media shows the Qendil exploding as the drones hit the empty tanker and a huge fireball engulfed the deck of the ship.
“Russia used this tanker to circumvent sanctions and earn money that financed the war against Ukraine,” a source told the Kyiv Independent.
“Therefore, from the point of view of international law and the laws and customs of war, this is an absolutely legitimate target for the SBU.”
Shaun Pinner, former Ukrainian Marine and author of Live, Fight, Survive wrote on X, “Just stop oil. Ukrainians are showing the world Russia’s weakness.
“If Putin is lying about taking Ukrainian ground and places like Kup’yans’k, what else is he lying about?”
Just stop oil. Ukrainians are showing the world Russia’s weakness.
If Putin is lying about taking Ukrainian ground and places like Kup'yans'k, what else is he lying about?He isn’t in control https://t.co/rHcGpXllCd
— Shaun Pinner (@olddog100ua) December 19, 2025
Another user wrote on X, “SBU just took out another piece of Russia’s shadow fleet. It was tanker QENDIL in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It sustained critical damage and is no longer operational.”
The X-user added: “This effectively removes another asset from Russia’s shadow logistics network, which has been used to bypass sanctions and sustain the war effort.
At the time of the strike, the Russian vessel was not carrying any cargo and was fully empty. As a result, the operation posed no threat to the environmental safety of the region, avoiding any risk of pollution or ecological damage.
“And Russia’s fleet is no longer beyond reach even in the waters of the Mediterranean.
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