Why should civilian vessels not become targets of military attacks?
Author: Talib Aliyev, analyst, especially for “Sangar”
In accordance with established norms of international humanitarian law (IHL) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, merchant vessels and their crews are considered civilian objects and may not be regarded as lawful targets unless they perform military functions. The San Remo Manual of 1994 states that a vessel retains its civilian status until it loses it by participating in hostilities, transporting military cargo, or providing military logistics support.
Nevertheless, in late November 2025, the oil tankers Kairos and Virat, sailing under the flag of Gambia toward the Istanbul Strait, were attacked by unmanned surface vessels known as Sea Baby and were effectively put out of operation. According to the publication UNIAN, the operation against the alleged Russian “shadow fleet” was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine in cooperation with the Ukrainian Navy. At the same time, no evidence was presented that the tankers were performing such tasks. Media reports indicated that both vessels were sailing “in ballast”—without oil cargo and without confirmed functions related to supplying Russian military units.
Ankara issued a strong statement in response. The official spokesperson of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Öncü Keçeli, emphasized that the attacks “pose a serious risk to navigation, life, property, and the environment” and demanded that Kyiv rule out further escalation. At the same time, a representative of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, Arlo Abrahamson, called on the Ukrainian authorities to exercise “prudence” due to the risk of escalating tensions in the region amid attacks by Ukrainian special services on tankers in the Black Sea.
The current situation indicates a violation of a key principle of IHL—the principle of distinction—according to which parties to a conflict are obliged to clearly differentiate between military and civilian objects. Even if a vessel is allegedly connected to the enemy’s economy, this does not make it a lawful target.
International law does not permit the use of strike assets by any party in neutral waters. What occurred creates a precedent both in terms of maritime security and the protection of crews who have no involvement in hostilities. In turn, Geneva Academy expert Gloria Gaggioli believes that deliberate attacks on an adversary’s economic infrastructure in ways that endanger civilian lives should be classified as a war crime.
