Ukrainian drone evades Russian helicopter fire to strike oil tanker

Ukraine has released video footage that appears to show an unmanned drone avoiding gunfire from a Russian helicopter before hitting an oil tanker in the Black Sea. The images, published by Kyiv, show the drone maneuvering under fire and then making contact with the vessel. The ship targeted in the footage is described by Ukrainian authorities as a sanctioned oil tanker. Kyiv says the strike is part of a wider campaign aimed at vessels it contends help to keep Russian oil exports moving despite restrictions. The released material underscores Ukraine's use of unmanned systems in maritime operations and shows an encounter in which a rotary-wing aircraft attempted to engage the drone. Ukrainian officials have framed this and similar actions as efforts to disrupt maritime links that facilitate Russian oil shipments. The incident adds to a pattern of maritime confrontations in the Black Sea, where commercial and military movements have increasingly come under scrutiny. By publicizing the footage, Kyiv has sought to document both the strike and the apparent ability of its drones to operate while under direct fire from Russian aircraft.