Drones attacked two “shadow fleet” ships near Novorossiysk: details and video
3.05.2026 - 12:32
Ukrainian drones hit two tankers of the Russian “shadow fleet” near the port of Novorossiysk.
This was reported by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He said that the Ukrainian military continues to apply sanctions against the Russian “shadow” oil fleet – they hit two such vessels in the waters of the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk.
“These tankers were actively used to transport oil. Now they will not be. Thank you to the Chief of the General Staff Andriy Gnatov for leading the operation, to the counterintelligence officers of the Security Service of Ukraine and to our Ukrainian Navy for the consistently useful results,” Zelenskyy wrote.
The Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy of Ukraine Vladyslav Vlasyuk clarified that the tankers in question are the AQUA LIVE and TORX.
AQUA LIVE is a ship built in 2004 under the flag of Cameroon, which previously used false flags of Aruba and Tonga. Deadweight – 105,306 tons, P&I is absent. Under US, EU, UK and Ukraine sanctions.
In 2022-2025, the vessel made 14 voyages from Russian ports to China, India and Pakistan. In addition, in 2023-2024, the vessel made six STS operations near Oman and Korea (to Pakistan).
— Owner/operator of the vessel VICENS MARINE CO, Marshall Islands (US sanctions).
ISM Manager unknown.
The vessel returned empty after a voyage from Novorossiysk to China.
The tanker TORX was built in 2006. This vessel is under the flag of Panama, deadweight 162293 tons, also with no P&I. Under EU, UK and Ukraine sanctions.
Owner/operator of the vessel — SHIVA SHIPPING LTD, Seychelles (not under sanctions). The vessel’s ISM Manager is CREST MARITIME PTE LTD, Singapore (not under sanctions).
The vessel made five voyages in 2025 from Novorossiysk to China and India, and also carried out an STS operation near Nakhodka (to China).
The tanker was returning empty after a voyage from Ust-Luga to India.
It was previously reported that a unit of the Ukrainian Navy used two kamikaze unmanned sea boats to destroy the Marquise vessel, which belongs to the sanctioned logistics of Russian oil.
