Wire mesh and tires to defend against drones... The Russian Shadow Fleet was also introduced.

A fleet equipped with armor was captured in the Bosphorus Strait at the exit of the Black Sea.

Ukraine attacks Russian oil tanker, putting pressure on war financing and financial system

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Song Jin-won = 'Shadow Fleet' oil tankers transporting Russian oil to avoid Western sanctions are arming their hulls with wire mesh and rubber tires to defend against Ukrainian drone attacks.

The American daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 31st of last month (local time) that after reviewing photos of ships provided by Turkic maritime analyst Yoruk Isyk, the Shadow Fleet tankers sailing along the Bosphorus Strait connected to the Black Sea were equipped with various defense devices on their hulls.

According to photo data, at least 60 ships equipped with drone defense devices have passed through the Bosphorus Strait since last August.

The most common temporary shields used by Shadow Fleet tankers are steel grid-like drone defense structures known as 'cope cages'.

This mesh was originally designed by the Russian and Ukrainian militaries to protect military vehicles from small drone attacks. In particular, it was used to block first-person view (FPV) drones that can be controlled by remote pilots and penetrate even expensive, high-tech air defense networks.

Eric Woods, an independent security analyst and long-time observer of Russian affairs, observed photos of the tanker and commented, "It looks similar to what we saw in Kharkiv (Ukraine). It resembles netting on the front lines."

Military analysts said the wire mesh hanging off the Russian oil tanker appeared to have been hastily installed to protect the ship's most vulnerable parts, including engine parts.

A method of protecting the engine and rudder by hanging rubber tires on the deck is also used. It is a primitive defense method that prevents drones from colliding with ships and disabling them.

Isyk said, “This is more blatant evidence that the Russian Navy has lost control in the Black Sea,” and added, “Russia’s foreign currency earnings (through oil exports) are facing a major threat.”

There are several strategic advantages for Ukraine in tracking and attacking Russia's shadow fleet.

First of all, it could weaken Russia's ability to finance war. Ukraine has long targeted oil tankers, claiming that Russia is financing its war through oil exports.

The Shadow Fleet also exposes certain vulnerabilities in the Russian financial system. These aging tankers do not comply with international standards for shipping insurance and regulation, so they are usually insured and guaranteed by Russian state-owned banks. The more the Shadow Fleet is attacked, the greater the burden on Russian banks.

“They (Ukraine) are explicitly trying to put pressure on the Russian banking system and its ability to finance insurance,” said Woods, the Russia expert.

The Shadow Fleet attack also took on the nature of a counterattack against the Russian military's targeting of key infrastructure, such as energy facilities, over the years to increase psychological fatigue among Ukrainian civilians.

The commander of Ukraine's drone force said in September that he had neutralized 300 Shadow Fleet ships since July of this year.

Experts say that the drone defense devices that have appeared in the shadow fleet are a sign that the Black Sea is becoming an important battlefield in the war.

In recent months, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine's grain export ports and ships. Drone attacks suspected to originate from Russia are becoming a growing threat to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries along the Black Sea.

Ukraine is countering this by using drone and missile attacks to push the Russian Black Sea fleet further to the eastern coast of the Black Sea.