Ukraine uses UAVs to attack Moscow, SBU attacks the Dashan ship.
Moscow says it shot down at least 31 drones on the night of December 9-10, temporarily restricting flights at four airfields; the SBU says a Sea Baby patrol boat damaged the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Dashan in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone.
Moscow announced it had countered a large-scale drone attack on the night of December 9-10, shooting down at least 31 drones heading towards the capital. Temporary flight restrictions were implemented at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports. At the same time, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reported that the Sea Baby unmanned surface vessel attacked the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Dashan in the Black Sea, causing significant damage.
Overview of developments
According to The Kyiv Independent, citing Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, Ukrainian drones attacked during the night of December 9th to 10th. Russian air defenses shot down at least 31 drones; emergency rescue teams were deployed to clear debris at the crash sites. There have been no reports of casualties or material damage.
Mr. Sobyanin began reporting on the attacks late on December 9th, continuously updating the information as more UAVs were shot down. The Telegram channel "Shot" reported on the explosions in the suburbs of Moscow. According to RBC-Ukraine, a red alert for UAV attacks was issued across the Moscow region.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced that four airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky – are implementing temporary flight restrictions due to the impact of the attack.
Technical and tactical analysis of UAVs
Ukraine frequently uses long-range drone attacks to target military and industrial targets in Russia, including oil refineries, weapons manufacturing facilities, and ammunition depots. Previously, Moscow was targeted by more than 30 drones in a large-scale attack on October 27th.
During the events of September-October-December 2012, the shooting down of at least 31 UAVs and the imposition of temporary flight restrictions at four airports demonstrated the direct impact of UAV attacks on civil aviation operations and the need for widespread air defense deployment. Information regarding the red alert level across the Moscow region (according to RBC-Ukraine) reflects the high alert status of the defense system.
Black Sea: SBU says Sea Baby attacked oil tanker Dashan.
According to sources from the SBU, the Sea Baby unmanned boat attacked the oil tanker Dashan on December 10th as the vessel passed through Ukraine's exclusive economic zone. The Comoros-flagged ship was reportedly traveling at high speed towards the Russian port of Novorossiysk with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off.
Video provided by the source shows large explosions at the rear of the ship. According to a preliminary assessment by the SBU, the Dashan is no longer usable. The source also stated that this is the third ship from Russia's "shadow fleet" that the SBU has disabled in the past two weeks.
The SBU estimates the Dashan vessel's value at approximately $30 million, with the capacity to carry up to $60 million worth of oil products per trip. Sources say the ship was previously sanctioned by the European Union, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland for its involvement in transporting Russian crude oil and for frequently operating with its AIS (Air Traffic Control) system switched off. The agency claims the campaign aims to reduce oil revenue flowing into the Russian budget.
Impact and key figures
The events described above reveal two parallel lines of activity: long-range UAVs targeting the capital Moscow and unmanned boats attacking maritime targets related to oil transport. According to the sources cited, the naval attack aims to reduce Russia's oil revenue, while the UAV raids disrupt air traffic and put pressure on air defenses.
| Element | Information (by source) |
|---|---|
| Number of UAVs shot down | At least 31 (Moscow) |
| Time | Night of December 9th to 10th |
| Warning | Red levels across the Moscow region (RBC-Ukraine) |
| Airport affected | Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky |
| Damage/Casualties | Not recorded |
| Target at sea | The oil tanker Dashan (flying the Comoros flag) |
| Location/Movement | Ukraine's exclusive economic zone; direction Novorossiysk; AIS off. |
| Level of damage | SBU says the damage is severe; preliminarily unusable. |
| Estimated value of the ship | ~30 million USD (SBU) |
| Value of goods per shipment | Up to $60 million (SBU) |
| Legal status | Sanctioned by the EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland. |
| Previous context | Attack on Moscow with over 30 UAVs on October 27th. |
Note regarding the source of information
The figures and assessments regarding the Dashan vessel, as well as the claim of "a third ship in two weeks," are based on sources from the SBU. Information on the number of downed UAVs, warnings, and air traffic restrictions is based on announcements from Moscow officials, Rosaviatsiya, and the media outlets mentioned in the article.