A tanker carrying Russian gasoil was hit by multiple explosions off the coast of Senegal, marking the third case in recent days. The Mersin had made several calls at Russian ports this year before it met its fate on Monday. The vessel was later stabilized and placed under tow, with reports that crew members were safe. Gasoil is a fuel used for non-road applications like agricultural machinery, construction equipment, generators, and some heating systems.
Ukrainian naval drones have been attacking sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea in recent weeks as Kyiv piles on the pressure on Russia’s vast oil industry. Last week, two oil tankers sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, were hit, with Ukraine’s SBU security service later telling CNN that upgraded Sea Baby naval drones were used to attack the vessels in a joint SBU and naval operation. Identified as the Kairos and Virat, the two oil tankers sustained extensive damage and were effectively taken out of service.
Kyiv has repeatedly urged the West to take action against Russia’s shadow fleet, which is helping move Russian oil around global markets and fund its war in Ukraine. Last month, the Trump administration announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and gas giants, Rosneft and Lukoil.
On Sunday, Ukraine delegates held peace talks in Washington, with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff now set to travel to Moscow for talks on Tuesday. However, whether or not Moscow will acquiesce to the newly proposed peace plan remains to be seen. The Trump administration has drafted a new 19-point peace plan that’s far more favorable to Ukraine compared to the original 28-point plan that heavily favored Russia.
Some of the critical amendments in the new plan include no handover of the Donbas region to Russia for free, no automatic veto on Ukraine joining NATO in the future, and provision of Article 5-style protection for Ukraine, meaning the U.S. would be bound to intervene if Russia invades in the future. A proposal for full amnesty for war crimes that was part of the first plan has also been removed.
By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com
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