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Saturday, January 17, 2026

Drone News

15 Jan 2026

Greece Warns Shipping Fleet of Risks after Black Sea Drone Attacks

© Adobe Stock/skyNext

Greece has warned its shipping fleet to review their security measures when sailing to Russian Black Sea ports after drone attacks on two Greek-operated tankers this week, according to shipping ministry advisories.Drones struck two oil tankers on Tuesday, including one chartered by U.S.

12 Jan 2026

Russian Drones Hit Two Foreign Vessels Near Chornomorsk Port

© Adobe Stock/andrii_lutsyk

Russian drones struck two foreign-flagged vessels on Monday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, the second such attack in four days on Black Sea shipping as the war nears the end of its fourth year.Kuleba said the vessels were sailing under the flags of Panama and San Marino, and that one person had been injured.The Panamanian ship was en route to pick up vegetable oil and the San Marino-flagged vessel had just been loaded with corn, he added."This is further evidence that Russia is deliberately attacking civilian vessels…

12 Jan 2026

Sweden to Spend $440m on Unmanned Military Drone Systems

© Adobe Stock/David

Sweden will spend 4 billion crowns ($437 million) on unmanned drone systems to be delivered over the next two years, the country's Defence Minister Pal Jonson said on Monday.The NATO member will buy unmanned systems including long-range attack drones, electronic warfare systems and surveillance drones as well as marine surveillance and minesweeping drones."No one knows what the next war will look like but one thing is clear, the future battle field will be characterised by unmanned systems and long-range capacity…

09 Jan 2026

Russian Drone Hits Two Foreign-Flagged Vessels Near Odesa

© Adobe Stock/ Leonid

Russia has attacked two foreign-flagged civilian vessels with drones in the southern Odesa region, killing a Syrian national and injuring another, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.Moscow has stepped up attacks on Ukraine's maritime export arteries over the last two months as retaliation for attacks on "shadow fleet" tankers heading to Russia to export its oil.Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said in a statement that one ship had been sailing along Ukraine's maritime export corridor to pick up a grain cargo at the port of Chornomorsk, and was under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.The ot

08 Jan 2026

Russian-Bound Tanker Struck in Black Sea Drone Attack

© Adobe Stock/moofushi

A Russia-bound oil tanker suffered a drone attack in the Black Sea that prompted it to request Turkish coastguard assistance and divert from its course, according to a notice by Lloyd's List Intelligence and a separate maritime security source on Thursday.Maritime data specialist Lloyd's List Intelligence said the Palau-flagged Elbus vessel "experienced an unmanned marine-vehicle and drone attack" on Wednesday targeting its engine room, and that no injuries were reported among the 25 crew, nor any pollution.The security source described it as a drone attack, based on an assessment.

24 Nov 2025

Port of Tuapse Resumes Fuel Exports After Two-Week Pause

© Adobe Stock/Vorsin

Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse resumed oil product exports last week after a two-week suspension following Ukrainian drone attacks, while the local oil refinery has restarted processing crude, according to two industry sources and LSEG data.According to the sources and ship-tracking data, the Gambia-flagged tanker Sandhya left Tuapse on November 17 with around 30,000 metric tons of gasoil and headed towards the Suez Canal.Another tanker, the Malawi-flagged Satna, loaded around 30,000 tons of gasoil at the Tuapse terminal on November 18.The fuel loaded on those two vessels had been refined i

24 Sep 2025

Two Dead in Ukrainian Drone Strike on Novorossiisk Port

© Arrows - stock.adobe.com

A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian port city of Novorossiisk killed two people and wounded six on Wednesday, regional authorities said on Telegram.The city's top official declared a state of emergency at Novorossiisk, Russia's major sea port on the Black Sea where oil and grain export terminals are located, but later said there was no danger to inhabitants and guests as servicemen had completed their tasks.Russian state news agency TASS reported that there was no damage to port infrastructure or ships at Novorossiisk following the attack.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)'s of

24 Sep 2025

Italy Deploys Navy Vessel After Drone Attack on Gaza Aid Flotilla

© Adobe Stock/Porcupen

An international aid flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said on Wednesday it was attacked overnight by drones in international waters off Greece, prompting Italy to send a navy ship to come to its assistance.The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, with many lawyers and activists onboard, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.The vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos…

16 Sep 2025

Russia Warns of Cutting Oil Output Following Drone Attacks

© Adobe Stock/fotofotofoto

Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft has warned producers they may have to cut output following Ukraine's drone attacks on critical export ports and refineries, three industry sources said on Tuesday.Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian energy assets since August in a bid to impede Moscow's war effort in Ukraine and reduce the Kremlin's revenues as attempts to secure an end to the conflict through peace talks have stalled.Oil and gas revenues have accounted for between a third and half of Russia's total federal budget proceeds over the past decade…

06 May 2025

Ambrey: RSF Launched Drone Attack on Port Sudan's Container Terminal

British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Tuesday that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had launched a drone attack on facilities at Port Sudan. Credit: Adobe Stock/atdr

British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Tuesday that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had launched a drone attack on facilities at Port Sudan, targeting the container terminal and escalating a two-year-long conflict.Ambrey said it had obtained video footage showing damage to the terminal and civilian infrastructure, reportedly leaving the city without power.No damage to merchant vessels was reported, but Ambrey noted significant GPS disruptions in the area.Explosions and fires rocked Sudan's main port city and wartime capital Port Sudan on Tuesday…

02 May 2025

Humanitarian Aid Ship Hit by Drones While En Route to Gaza

A Gaza-bound ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists was, according to its organizers, bombed by drones in international waters early on Friday morning. Credit: Adobe Stock/Porcupen

A Gaza-bound ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists was, according to its organizers, bombed by drones in international waters early on Friday morning.Organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, have alleged that Israel is to blame.This video, verified by Reuters and filmed by those on board as well as from the ship’s CCTV, purports to show the moment the Conscience was struck off the Maltese coast.The Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for…

31 Dec 2024

Ukraine Claims First: Navy Drone Downs Russian Helicopter

Russian Mi-8 helicopter. Copyright Yuriy/AdobeStock

Ukrainian military intelligence said one of its naval drones had destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another one in the Black Sea.In a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea's west coast on Tuesday, a Magura V5 maritime drone equipped with missiles hit a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, Ukraine's GUR spy agency said on Telegram.GUR said it was the first time a Ukrainian naval drone had downed an air target. Reuters could not independently verify the report.There was no comment from Moscow on the helicopter.

10 Dec 2023

French Warship Shoots Down Two Drones Coming from Yemen

© Wojciech Wrzesień / Adobe Stock

A French warship operating in the Red Sea has shot down two drones that were launched at it from the Yemen coast, the defence ministry said on Sunday.It said the multipurpose frigate Languedoc had intercepted and destroyed a first drone at around 9:30 p.m. local French time on Saturday, and a second one around 11:30 p.m.

29 Jul 2021

EMSA Taps Drone Firm for Long-range Maritime Surveillance Services

Textron Systems' Aerosonde - Credit: Textron Systems

Oslo-listed drone company Nordic Unmanned has received a conditional letter of award from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) for a contract worth up to 20 million euros ($23,75 million).The letter of award is related to fixed-wing RPAS (drone) services carrying out long-range general maritime surveillanceThe official value of the framework contract is EUR 20 million over a period of up to 2+1+1 years. Nordic Unmanned is the contractual partner with EMSA. Nordic Unmanned will utilize Textron Systems' Aerosonde as its drone platform and two complete systems…