Zelenskyy visits Saudi Arabia as Ukraine provides expertise against Iranian drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Thursday in Saudi Arabia on an unannounced visit, days after revealing that Ukraine is helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter drone attacks on their territory during the Iran war.

"Arrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled," the Ukrainian leader said on X along with a video of his arrival. "We appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security."

Zelenskyy provided no more information about his visit but he said last week that Ukrainian officials are helping Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan with drone expertise and helping build a defense system. Ukraine is also looking into whether it can play a role in restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz, he said at the time.

In return, Ukraine is seeking more of the high-end air-defense missiles that Gulf countries possess and which Kyiv needs to stop Russia's missiles.

Ukraine has quickly grown into one of the world's leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective. They are playing a key part in its defense against Russia's more than 4-year-old full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian officials did not announce nor immediately provide details of Zelenskyy's trip.

A group of northern European countries vowed Thursday to harden the fight against Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers exporting its sanctioned oil, as Turkish officials said that one of those tankers approaching the Black Sea entrance to the Bosporus Strait was hit by a naval drone.

Russia's shadow fleet is made up of aging tankers that are bought used, often by nontransparent entities with addresses in countries that are not sanctioning Russia. Moscow needs the vessels to dodge Western sanctions and sell the oil and petroleum products that largely finance its more than 4-year invasion of Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a meeting with allies in Finland that "we should go after the shadow fleet even harder."

Speaking with other members of the Joint Expeditionary Force, a 10-country group that has been tracking the vessels, Starmer said the British military will now be able to board shadow fleet tankers when they transit U.K. waters, joining several other allies in doing so.

"Together, we must close off critical sea routes to this vital trade, to keep up the pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and to help change the narrative of this war" in Ukraine, Starmer said.

In a recorded video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia's oil and gas exports are fueling Moscow's effort to take over Ukraine.

"So please keep the pressure on Russia - its tankers and shadow fleet must not feel safe in European waters," he said.

In Turkey, officials said that none of the 27 Turkish crew members of the Altura tanker was injured when it was attacked early Thursday, causing damage to the bridge and engine room.

The Altura, which reportedly was carrying 140,000 tons of crude oil when it was hit some 14 nautical miles north of the Bosphorus, has been owned by Turkey-based Pergamon Maritime since November.

The tanker has been subject to European Union sanctions since October due to its role in transporting sanctions-dodging Russian oil exports, according to the Open Sanctions website.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the tanker was subjected to an "attack by an unmanned sea vessel." He did not say whether Ukraine was suspected to be behind the attack.

In the past, Ukraine's military has said it used sea drones to sink Russian vessels in the Black Sea. Earlier this month Russia blamed a Ukrainian naval drone for the sinking of a Russian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya.