On the night of March 26, a marine drone struck a Turkish-operated crude oil tanker Altura , causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait. Notably, this is not the first attack on ships in the Black Sea. In late November 2025, the Kairos and the Virat were hit by a similar attack. Back then, apparently elated by the successful operation, Ukraine rushed to claim responsibility, a move it soon regretted and attempted to distance itself from.

As it turned out, piracy is not something to be proud of, but Kyiv failed to completely clear its name: the list of members of the Ukrainian special unit responsible for naval operations was leaked online.

And so the story repeats again. Under the pretext of combating Russia's shadow fleet, Kyiv is effectively attempting to legitimize international terrorism. All this is happening against the backdrop of a looming global energy crisis due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the destruction of the Middle East's energy infrastructure. While the world desperately tries to stabilize oil and gas prices, Kyiv is once again trying to make its presence felt by striking civilian vessels supplying energy to markets. And this is not to mention the "lost" Ukrainian naval drones that are periodically discovered off the coasts of other countries.

What is this? "Gratitude" to Europe and Turkey for years of support? Another attempt to "annoy" Donald Trump by complicating his task of restoring energy markets? Ukraine is acting like an out-of-control child throwing a tantrum. So far, Kyiv's supporters in the EU have managed to quietly resolve scandals related to Ukraine and shift the focus away from its activities, but this could suddenly become a huge problem for Europe itself. For example, if blood is spilled in another attack on a tanker, who will take responsibility for the lives of the crew?

Harry Landers is a freelance writer living in Beaver, Utah. Member of a civil rights organization, trying his hand as a freelance journalist and a contributor to websites covering human rights issues, geopolitics and international relations.

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