Ukrainian forces strike shadow fleet tanker in the Black Sea and multiple targets
Photo: The tanker WEST Horizon (war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua)
During the night of June 10, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck a missile and drone navigation systems plant, an oil refinery in Samara, and a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Black Sea, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Shadow fleet tanker hit in the Black Sea
The WEST Horizon tanker was struck in the Black Sea. Damage to its propulsion and steering system has been confirmed, leaving the vessel unable to move.
WEST Horizon is a chemical tanker with a deadweight of more than 50,000 tons. It is under sanctions from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Australia for transporting Russian oil in violation of international restrictions. The vessel is linked to the Turkish company Beks, part of the business group owned by Turkish entrepreneur Ali Bekmezci.
The tanker had previously called at Russian ports, including Novorossiysk, Tuapse, and St. Petersburg, and repeatedly switched off its AIS transponder to conceal its route.
18 ammunition depots destroyed near St. Petersburg
Following additional reconnaissance of the arsenal struck on June 6 near Bolshaya Izhora in Russia’s Leningrad region, the destruction of 18 above-ground storage facilities and three open storage sites has been confirmed. Secondary ammunition detonations were recorded.
During the night, the following targets were also struck:
- The VNIIR-Progress plant in Cheboksary, which manufactures navigation components for Shahed drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, and Iskander ballistic missiles. The strike was carried out using FP-5 Flamingo missiles launched from a distance of more than 900 km from the front line.
- The Kuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara, which processes about 3.7 million tons of oil annually and supplies fuel to the Russian military.
Flamingo missiles struck the plant in Cheboksary, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a successful attack on the facility, which produces components for drones and missiles.
Moreover, strikes on bridges leading to Crimea have significantly complicated logistics for Russian forces. Combined with fuel supply problems, this is affecting the combat capability of the Russian grouping.
