Video: Russian Drone Hits Product Tanker in Black Sea After Leaving Ukraine

A Turkish-owned product tanker was struck by a Russian drone after the vessel departed Ukraine bound for Egypt. The Ukrainian Navy released a video of the strike, reporting that the crew was uninjured, and the vessel was damaged but proceeding on its trip.

The product tanker Viva (16,116 dwt) is registered in Tuvalu and owned by Turkish shipping company Chemtankers Shipping. The vessel was built in 1999 and has been operating for the Turkish company since 2023.

According to the report from the Ukrainian Navy, the vessel had loaded a cargo of sunflower oil. It was more than 20 miles off the coast of Ukraine on Saturday, December 13, and outside the country’s air defenses, when it was targeted by a Russian drone. Ukraine emphasized that it was in the recognized corridor established for grain cargo ships.

The vessel was struck in the area of the accommodation block. The images show debris and scorching marks on the structure. The ship has 11 Turkish crewmembers aboard, but the reports said they were uninjured in the attack. Some reports are saying the vessel was targeted with two drones, with the second one striking near the bow.

The Ukrainian Navy said it was in contact with the captain of the vessel. The maritime search and rescue service is reported to be prepared to provide assistance if needed.

They denounced the attack, saying it “violates the norms of international maritime law.” They cited the principles of freedom of navigation, but made no mention of the strikes Ukraine recently carried out in the Black Sea on shadow fleet tankers heading to Russia to transport oil.

Today’s attack followed multiple assaults on Ukrainian ports on Friday, December 12. Additional videos appeared online of the drone attack on the Greater Odesa port complex and the strike on a Turkish RoPax that was set on fire.

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— Kyiv24 (@kyiv_tv) December 13, 2025

Media reports are saying the vessel named Cenk T was transporting generators, with containers visible on deck from a company called ASKA, a manufacturer of diesel, gasoline, and gas generators. The reports point out that the generators were destined to supplement Ukraine’s damaged power system. The reports highlighted that multiple areas of Ukraine are experiencing large-scale power outages, often exceeding 10 to 12 hours per day.

In addition to the large fire started on the RoPax Cenk T, the Odesa Regional Military Administration said a fire was started on a second ship in the port. A worker for a private company in the port of Odesa, it says, was injured, and a container crane was damaged. Later in the day, they report that Russia again attacked the Odesa Port, damaging more port infrastructure and causing a fire that was quickly extinguished by firefighters.

Vanguard Tech warned yesterday that commercial vessels calling at Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyl are currently facing elevated risk from short-notice, high-intensity strikes targeting port infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to the sea after the recent strikes on the shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea.