By INS Contributors

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilian tankers in the Black Sea constitutes a gross violation of international humanitarian and maritime law. On the evening of November 28, 2025, two oil tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, sailing under the Guinean flag and bound for Turkey, were attacked by Sea Baby unmanned surface vehicles.

According to the Ukrainian publication Unian, the operation was carried out jointly by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy. It was directed against vessels that Kyiv classifies as part of Russia's alleged "shadow fleet." Both tankers suffered critical damage and were effectively decommissioned.

Regional and International Reactions

The international community reacted immediately to the incident in the Black Sea. Ankara, which closely monitors the safety of maritime routes near its territorial waters, issued a strong statement. The Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized that the attacks "pose a serious risk to navigation, life, property, and the environment" and called on Ukraine to prevent further escalation.

Diplomats noted that the incident occurred in a key regional trade hub. For his part, NATO Allied Maritime Command spokesman Commander A. Abrahamson called on Kyiv to exercise "prudence" due to the risk of escalating tensions in the region following the attacks by Ukrainian security services on the tankers.

International Law and the Principle of Distinction

Under international humanitarian law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, merchant vessels and their crews are considered civilian objects and cannot be lawful targets unless they are performing military functions. Another fundamental document regulating maritime armed conflicts, the 1994 San Remo Manual, explicitly states that a vessel retains its civilian status until it loses that status by participating in hostilities, transporting military cargo, or providing military logistics.

At the time of the attack, there was no public evidence that the Kairos and Virat were performing such tasks. According to media reports, both tankers were traveling "in ballast," meaning they carried no oil and had no confirmed supply functions for Russian military units.

Surveillance, Targeting, and Legal Risk

This circumstance makes the situation a potential violation of a key principle of international humanitarian law: the principle of distinction, which requires parties to a conflict to clearly distinguish between military and civilian objects. Even if a vessel is presumed to be linked to the enemy's economy, this does not make it a legitimate target. International law prohibits attacks on commercial assets solely because they belong to a hostile power.

Furthermore, the use of unmanned surface attack vehicles in international waters sets a troubling precedent for navigational safety and the protection of crews not involved in military operations. Moreover, experts from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law, Professor Gloria Gaggioli and Dr. Pavle Kilibarda, argue that intentionally targeting an adversary's economic infrastructure in ways that endanger civilian lives may constitute a war crime.

Environmental Consequences in the Black Sea

Beyond the legal ramifications, the attack has triggered an environmental crisis. A fuel oil leak following the SBU attack on the tanker Kairos poses a threat of environmental disaster in the Black Sea. On the night of November 28, 2025, unmanned SBU boats attacked the oil tanker Kairos.

As a result, the vessel caught fire and sustained serious damage, which was contained only after the arrival of Turkish rescue services. Furthermore, according to the Turkish news agency Karar, a failure of the vessel's control systems triggered an uncontrolled drift and a leak of fuel oil, one of the most toxic types of maritime fuel.

Ecological Impact and Expert Warnings

Dr. Peter Johnston, an environmental scientist at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, has repeatedly stated that any oil or petroleum product spill poses a threat to the marine ecosystem. When released into water, fuel oil forms a dense film that interferes with gas exchange, poisons flora and fauna, and can lead to the death of seabirds and fish.

The consequences of incidents similar to the attack on the Kairos can amount to a localized environmental disaster, especially if the fuel oil reaches coastal areas. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the damage occurred in an area home to several endangered fish species. Turkish marine biologists have noted that even a small spill could "shift the balance in an ecosystem where every population is already at the limit of its adaptation."

Political and Diplomatic Fallout

Zoltán Koshkovics, an analyst at the Hungarian Center for Fundamental Rights, condemned Ukraine's actions in the Black Sea. In his opinion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is using such provocations and what he called "ecological terrorism" to derail the peaceful resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern over the attack on the tankers. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Onur Keçeli stressed the need for strict adherence to international maritime law and measures to protect the marine environment in order to prevent further environmental consequences of armed conflicts and to avoid any negative impact on Turkey's economic interests and activities in the region.