Ukraine Says Upgraded “Sea Baby” Drone Boats Struck Two Sanctioned Tankers Off Turkey

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for attacks that set two sanctioned oil tankers ablaze off Turkey’s Black Sea coast, saying upgraded naval drone boats known as "Sea Baby" were used to strike the vessels.

A source within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told investigators that modernised Sea Baby drones "successfully targeted the vessels," and that video footage shows both tankers suffered critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. Turkish authorities initially said the fires may have been caused by airborne drones or sea mines and are continuing to investigate.

The two vessels, identified as the Gambian-flagged Kairos and the Virat, caught fire on Friday. Turkey’s maritime authority reported the Kairos ablaze about 32 miles off Kocaeli province and the Virat around 40 miles from the Turkish shore. Local officials described the explosions as the result of "external intervention" within Turkey’s territorial waters.

According to statements from Turkish officials, neither tanker was carrying oil at the time of the incident. Turkey’s transport minister confirmed that crew evacuations were successful: 25 crew members from the Kairos were safely removed, and the 20 crew aboard the Virat were reported to be in good condition. Rescue and containment operations were underway.

Last month the SBU revealed two upgraded Sea Baby variants, saying they can operate across the Black Sea with an extended range of up to 1,000 km and a maximum payload of 2,000 kg. During a demonstration for reporters the service showed one version fitted with a machine-gun turret and another equipped with Grad-style rocket launchers.

Both tankers were reportedly en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk to load cargo. The Kairos is sanctioned by the UK and European Union, while the Virat is sanctioned by the United States and the EU. Analysts have linked the strike to Ukraine’s sustained campaign against Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet," a network of ageing, opaque tankers used to move oil around Western sanctions.

The incident comes amid a fragile maritime environment in the Black Sea. Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a US-brokered naval ceasefire in March, but Russia has said it will only formalize the pact if certain sanctions on its food and fertilizer sectors are waived. Ukraine has also repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in efforts to diminish resources that support the war effort.

Turkish authorities have opened formal inquiries into the attacks and are coordinating maritime safety and environmental response efforts. International observers are likely to monitor developments closely given the geopolitical sensitivity of attacks on commercial shipping in regional waters.