Escalating Maritime Hostilities: Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Assault on Greek Oil Tanker

On Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry alleged that Ukraine had deployed drones that targeted a Greek-owned oil tanker off the coast of the Black Sea the previous day, marking yet another incident in a series of maritime assaults in the area.

On Tuesday, Greek officials reported that two Greek-owned oil tankers, the Matilda and the Delta Harmony, were struck by drones, with one of them scheduled to take on Kazakh oil close to Russia’s coastline.

According to a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry, the Maltese-flagged tanker Matilda was attacked by two Ukrainian drones approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the coastline near Anapa in the southern Krasnodar region.

The ministry did not address the Delta Harmony, and there was no immediate response from Ukraine regarding the accusation.

Over the past year, Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy facilities and logistical centers with drone operations, asserting that these actions are a justified response to Russia’s extensive invasion and ongoing occupation of Ukrainian territories.

Kazakhstan and Greece both issued separate statements on Wednesday condemning the attack.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry expressed «serious concern» over strikes «against three tankers heading to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the Black Sea.»

It added that «the rising frequency of such incidents underscores the increasing dangers to the operations of international energy infrastructure.»

Greece also denounced the attacks and announced that its foreign minister would address the matter with European allies.

Recently, Ukraine has accused Russia of launching assaults on various cargo ships off its southern coast in the Odesa region, while claiming successful strikes against vessels associated with Russia in the Black Sea.