Türkiye Reports Attack on Russian-Flagged Tanker in Black Sea

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Moscow had earlier accused Kyiv of carrying out “terrorist attacks” against commercial ships in the region.

Turkish officials have confirmed that a Russian-flagged tanker, traveling to Georgia, was attacked in the Black Sea. This incident follows previous accusations from Russian authorities last week, who claimed Kyiv was responsible for drone attacks on commercial vessels in the vicinity.

On Tuesday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs released a statement indicating that the MIDVOLGA-2 tanker, laden with sunflower oil, reported an attack approximately 80 miles (120km) from the Turkish coast.

Officials stated that “the vessel, with its 13 crew members currently unaffected, has not requested any assistance. It is continuing its journey towards Sinop using its own propulsion,” without specifying who was responsible for the assault.

Subsequently, Russia’s Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport confirmed that a drone had attacked the vessel, causing minor damage.

Last week saw multiple explosives-laden sea drones target two Gambian-flagged tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, near Türkiye’s coast. Ukrainian media outlets characterized this incident as a collaborative operation between the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Kyiv’s naval forces.

Furthermore, a suspected Ukrainian drone targeted a crude oil hub on Russia’s Black Sea coast. This facility belongs to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which is jointly operated by Russia, Kazakhstan, the US, and several Western European countries.

Moscow has condemned these raids as “terrorist attacks.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also accused Ukraine of infringing upon Turkish sovereignty.

While Ankara has avoided assigning blame, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli stated that the “incidents, occurring within our Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea, have created significant dangers for navigation, human lives, property, and the environment.”