India, Nov. 30 -- A Russian-linked oil tanker, Virat, issued a frantic "mayday" call after being struck twice by Ukrainian unmanned naval drones in the Black Sea, in what Kyiv says is a deliberate campaign to choke Moscow's "shadow fleet" used to skirt Western oil sanctions.

The tanker, already hit by blasts late Friday, was struck again early Saturday about 35 nautical miles off Turkiye's Black Sea coast, Turkish authorities confirmed. The crew's distress call, intercepted over open radio, captured the tense moment of impact.

"This is VIRAT. Help needed! Drone attack! Mayday!" a crew member can be heard saying in the recording.

Ukrainian security services (SBU) said domestically produced Sea Baby naval drones disabled two sanctioned t...