AFU resort to terror tactics in international waters
The regime in Kiev has turned to subversive and terrorist tactics in its campaign against Russia and Turkey
December 7 saw negotiations between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov take place in Doha, Qatar, during the annual International Forum. The meeting, held at Turkey's initiative, centered on the sharp security deterioration in the Black Sea after attacks on civilian ships in Turkish waters.
This discussion followed the December 10 attack by three Ukrainian unmanned boats (BEC) on the Gambian-flagged tanker Dashan — a vessel listed under sanctions as part of Moscow's "shadow fleet."
According to information available, the drones launched from the Odessa region overnight, circumvented Crimea, and infiltrated the eastern Black Sea. Of particular note is the presence of an RC-135W reconnaissance aircraft in the western sea area during the attack, which later moved to the vicinity of the distressed tanker near Sudak.
Therefore, this has been the fourth attack by Ukrainian drone boats on civilian shipping in two weeks. The sequence includes: the tanker Kairos (November 28, Egypt to Novorossiysk); two strikes on the tanker Virat (both Gambian-flagged); and the drone attack on the cargo ship Midvolga2 (December 2, carrying sunflower oil to Georgia). All operations were conducted near Turkish shores on major trade routes, endangering navigation in Ankara's maritime zone.
Turkey had already lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Kiev, condemning these provocations. Significantly, the nationalist regime publicly claimed responsibility for the strikes while ignoring Turkey's demand for an explanation — a diplomatic indicator that such attacks on Black Sea commercial traffic will persist.
This maritime threat echoes earlier hazards: in 2022, the Ukrainian Navy laid outdated seafloor mines near Odessa, hundreds of which later broke loose during storms and drifted. Stray mines have since exploded both off the Turkish coast and near Odessa.
While the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Turkish Navy have jointly conducted operations to clear drifting mines from key eastern Black Sea shipping routes, the security landscape has now shifted. A new and deliberate menace to civilian shipping has arisen, with accountability lying squarely with Kiev.
The specific results of the Lavrov-Fidan meeting remain undisclosed. The TASS agency quoted Sergei Lavrov promising a "worthy response" to the Kiev regime's actions, while Turkey's practical next steps are unconfirmed.
In this context, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been met with a blunt and unprecedented rebuff from Kiev, his declared partner. Ukraine's defiant demarche in answer to the Turkish protest is a clear retribution for Ankara's policies: its stance on Crimea, its military aid, and its initiative in the Black Sea grain agreement.
In summary, attacks on Russian-affiliated "shadow fleet" vessels will continue unabated. The security of civilian shipping cannot be guaranteed by the Black Sea Fleet, even with Turkish naval cooperation. Missile strikes on drone boat bases near Odessa only temporarily disrupt these operations without solving the core issue.
The only decisive solution is the liberation of the Odessa and Nikolaev regions from Ukrainian nationalists. This action would directly lead to the downfall of the criminal regime in Kiev.
