Ukraine’s SBU said drones disabled the Oman‑flagged tanker Qendil in the eastern Mediterranean, marking the first claimed strike on a vessel Kyiv links to Russia’s sanctions‑evading "shadow fleet." Meanwhile, President Putin downplayed prospects for a negotiated peace, asserting Russia has the strategic initiative and warning Europe against using frozen Russian assets. The EU agreed an interest‑free loan package of more than $100 billion for Ukraine but did not authorize immediate use of immobilized Russian funds.
Ukraine Says It Struck Oil Tanker as Putin Downplays Peace Prospects and Warns Europe
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow, Dec. 19, 2025. / Credit: Alexander NEMENOV/AFP/Getty
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he saw little willingness from Kyiv to negotiate a peace deal, reiterating long‑standing demands that Ukraine cede occupied territory and accept limits on its armed forces. Speaking at his year‑end news conference, Putin claimed Russian forces had seized the strategic initiative and predicted further gains along the roughly 600‑mile eastern front before year end.
Putin’s Remarks and Reaction
Putin framed any negotiated end to what Moscow calls a “special military operation” as possible only on Russia’s terms. He accused Ukraine and its European backers of prolonging the conflict and warned of consequences for nations that move to use frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv.
"Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact... but the enemy is retreating in all sectors," Putin said during the conference, while also calling the potential seizure of Russian funds "daylight robbery."
Kyiv’s Claimed Strike On Shadow Fleet Tanker
As Putin spoke, Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service said it struck and disabled the Oman‑flagged oil tanker Qendil in neutral waters of the eastern Mediterranean using aerial drones. The SBU described the operation as the first strike that targeted a vessel it ties to Russia’s so‑called "shadow fleet" — ships Washington says Moscow uses to evade sanctions — and emphasized that the tanker was empty, posing no ecological threat.
An image taken from video shared on Dec. 19, 2025, by Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency, shows what the SBU claimed as a first-of-its-kind drone strike to disable a vessel in Russia's
The SBU released a black‑and‑white clip, apparently shot from a drone, showing explosions on the tanker’s deck. The agency and Ukrainian sources framed the strike as a legitimate effort to deny Russia revenues used to fund its war against Ukraine; independent confirmation of the vessel’s damage remains limited.
Ship‑tracking site MarineTraffic listed the Qendil in the eastern Mediterranean on Friday and reported the vessel had sailed from Sikka, India, and was bound for Ust‑Luga, Russia. The ship is not among vessels publicly listed by the U.S. Treasury as part of the sanctioned shadow fleet.
Broader Efforts To Counter The Shadow Fleet
The United States and allies have imposed sanctions and taken enforcement actions against vessels and maritime firms they say help Moscow move energy exports outside sanctioned channels. Last week, U.S. forces seized a 20‑year‑old oil tanker sanctioned over alleged involvement in an oil‑smuggling network linked to Iran — a high‑profile example of intensified efforts to disrupt such networks.
Ursula von der Leyen (right), President of the European Commission, stands next to Antonio Costa, President of the European Council and Mette Frederiksen (left), Prime Minister of Denmark, during a news conference after an EU summit that focused on EU support for Ukraine, Dec. 19, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. / Credit: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/Getty
EU Support Package, But No Use Of Frozen Russian Assets
Meanwhile, EU leaders reached a deal to provide Ukraine with a support package exceeding $100 billion structured as an interest‑free loan drawn from the bloc’s budget to cover military and economic needs for two years. Member states could not agree to repurpose frozen Russian assets immediately; several, including Belgium where much of those funds are held, resisted the proposal.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the package as sufficient for Ukraine’s needs in the near term and left open the possibility of using immobilized Russian assets later, in line with international law and contingent on reparations. Ukrainian officials welcomed the package but reiterated that Kyiv prefers frozen Russian assets to be made available to bolster its defense.
Context And Outlook
The developments underscore continued escalation in both rhetoric and operations: Russia’s leadership presenting a narrative of battlefield momentum and deterrence, and Ukraine expanding tactics — including strikes beyond Russia’s territorial waters — to choke off revenue streams that might finance Moscow’s war. Diplomatic efforts continue, with U.S. officials pursuing negotiation avenues and a senior Russian envoy set to meet U.S. interlocutors in Florida.
As always with wartime reporting, some claims remain contested or awaiting independent verification; the SBU’s account of the Qendil strike is presented as Kyiv’s assertion, and Moscow has promised to respond to such attacks.
