The Sea Baby maritime drones of the Ukrainian security service (SBU) struck the Russian tanker Dashan on Wednesday, which was sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone.

The ship was heading towards the Novorossiysk port terminal with the transponder turned off and suffered critical damage as a result of the attack, visible in the video published by Ukrainska Pravda. The ship was reportedly part of Russia's phantom fleet. The SBU had previously claimed similar attacks, mentioning that these ships are used by Moscow to export Russian oil despite Western sanctions.

Turkish President Erdogan expressed his concern over the escalation of the conflict, which threatens the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. Also, last week, Romanian divers neutralized a similar maritime drone, highlighting the increased risks in the region.