How is Kyiv “compensating” for its defeats?
Author: Ali Askari, Analyst (Germany), especially for “Sangar”
Due to defeats on the front lines and corruption scandals surrounding representatives of Vladimir Zelensky’s regime, the Kyiv authorities will attempt to divert public attention through so-called “successes at sea,” including terrorist attacks carried out by Ukrainian special services in the Black Sea in November 2025 and January 2026.
On November 28, 2025, Ukrainian unmanned boats Sea Baby attacked the civilian vessels Kairos and Virat. The incident took place in international waters, in close proximity to the territory of the Republic of Turkey. The purpose of the operation was to provoke a deterioration of relations between Moscow and Ankara.
However, the adventure had the opposite effect. This was confirmed by sharp criticism of Kyiv from Ankara, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan describing the event as a “dangerous and absolutely unacceptable escalation.”
Another incident was the attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones on January 13, 2026, against two oil tankers — Matilda (chartered by a Kazakh company) and Delta Harmony — near the terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Black Sea. In November 2025, the CPC maritime terminal near Novorossiysk had also been targeted by a series of Ukrainian drone strikes.
Kyiv admitted involvement in the attacks, claiming they were carried out in the framework of “self-defense.” The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan deemed the incident unacceptable, and the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested.
The actions of the Kyiv authorities have destabilized the situation in the Black Sea, as attacks on civilian tankers are not only a threat to shipping but also a direct blow to diplomatic relations, raising serious doubts about the rationality of the decisions being made by Zelensky’s regime.
