Russia reels as Ukraine opens up new front in war to cripple Putin

Drone strike reportedly cripples Russian 'shadow fleet'

Ukraine has opened up a new front in its war with Russia, as it seeks to cripple the Kremlin's ability to wage its military campaign. The Kremlin relies heavily on its energy exports to raise funds for its illegal and senseless war.

Oil and gas revenues account for as much as a quarter of Russia's Budget and are by far and away the most important source of cash for Moscow's military campaign, now in its fourth year. Despite Western sanctions, the Kremlin has been able to export its oil globally using a so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers. The fleet is mainly composed of ageing, poorly-maintained vessels belonging to Russian-controlled operators or unscrupulous firms willing to cash in on the higher rates being offered by Moscow to transport its sanctioned oil.

A tanker transporting sanctioned Russian oil is hit in the Black Sea (Image: Ukraine Army)

Ukraine has significantly upgraded its Sea Baby drone (Image: Ukraine Army)

Up until recently, Ukraine had confined itself to attacking refineries in Russia, in a bid to disrupt oil production in the country.

However, in recent weeks Kyiv's army had turned its attention to the shadow fleet, attacking and destroying a number of vessels.

In the space of a number of days, three tankers - Dashan, Kairos and Virat - were hit and disabled.

Th strikes have had an immediate impact, with Russian seaborne oil exports through the Black Sea plunging, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Serhii Kuzan - the chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre - said the attacks were significantly increasing the costs of transporting sanctioned Russian oil.

“The very fact of such strikes forces Russia’s partners to either completely or partially abandon such contracts, understanding that the deadlines may be disrupted by our defence forces," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"Such risks significantly increase the cost of logistics and the expenses of intermediaries involved in shadow oil exports, which in turn reduces Russia’s revenues and directly affects the military budget.”

Ukraine has reportedly used its pioneering Sea Baby drones to carry out its deadly attacks. In October, Kyiv unveiled a significantly updated version of the water drone that included AI features.

The updated model can carry weapons armed with a two tonne payload and use artificial intelligence (AI) for more precise targeting.

At the same time, the range of the Sea Baby drone has been extended from 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres, meaning it can operate anywhere in the Black Sea.