A crude oil tanker sailing from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Istanbul was hit by a naval drone near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait Thursday morning, Turkey's Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said. No one was injured in the attack, which Uraloglu said had targeted the ship's engine room.
Issued on: 26/03/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Altura, a Turkish-operated crude oil tanker, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, March 16, 2026. © Yoruk Isik, Reuters
A water-borne drone struck a Turkish-operated crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.
The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24.
"I can say that a foreign-flagged ship operated by a Turkish company, which had loaded crude oil from Russia, reported an explosion in its engine room after midnight to our emergency call centre," the minister said in a televised interview.
"We believe that the engine room was specifically targeted. We think the attack was not carried out by a drone, but by an unmanned surface vehicle at water level."
All 27 crew were safe, he said, adding that the coastguard had been dispatched to the vessel, the Altura, which was about 18 nautical miles (33 km) from the Bosphorus, a key commodities-shipping channel linking the Black Sea with the Marmara and Mediterranean.
The attack took place just outside Turkish territorial waters.
Ship-tracking and Refinitiv AIS data showed the Altura had left Russia's port of Novorossiysk with about 1 million barrels of crude oil and appeared almost fully laden.
The ship is sanctioned by the European Union and Britain.
The Black Sea is shared by Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war for more than four years, as well as other states.
Late last year, shipping insurance rates rose after Ukrainian naval drones hit Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to threaten retaliation and NATO-member Turkey to urge calm.
Other commercial tankers carrying crude oil from Russian ports have been targeted over the past year by what some experts suggest is a state-sponsored sabotage campaign using limpet mines and other explosives. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for these attacks.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow or Kyiv on Thursday.
The registered owner of the latest ship to be hit is China-based Sea Grace Shipping Ltd and the manager is the Turkey-based Pergamon Denizcilik, according to Refinitiv data.
Reuters could not immediately contact Pergamon.
Broadcaster NTV earlier reported an explosion on the ship's bridge and water entering the engine room, before the crew sought assistance from Turkish authorities.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
A water-borne drone struck a Turkish-operated crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.
The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24.
"I can say that a foreign-flagged ship operated by a Turkish company, which had loaded crude oil from Russia, reported an explosion in its engine room after midnight to our emergency call centre," the minister said in a televised interview.
"We believe that the engine room was specifically targeted. We think the attack was not carried out by a drone, but by an unmanned surface vehicle at water level."
All 27 crew were safe, he said, adding that the coastguard had been dispatched to the vessel, the Altura, which was about 18 nautical miles (33 km) from the Bosphorus, a key commodities-shipping channel linking the Black Sea with the Marmara and Mediterranean.
The attack took place just outside Turkish territorial waters.
Ship-tracking and Refinitiv AIS data showed the Altura had left Russia's port of Novorossiysk with about 1 million barrels of crude oil and appeared almost fully laden.
The ship is sanctioned by the European Union and Britain.
The Black Sea is shared by Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war for more than four years, as well as other states.
Late last year, shipping insurance rates rose after Ukrainian naval drones hit Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to threaten retaliation and NATO-member Turkey to urge calm.
Other commercial tankers carrying crude oil from Russian ports have been targeted over the past year by what some experts suggest is a state-sponsored sabotage campaign using limpet mines and other explosives. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for these attacks.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow or Kyiv on Thursday.
The registered owner of the latest ship to be hit is China-based Sea Grace Shipping Ltd and the manager is the Turkey-based Pergamon Denizcilik, according to Refinitiv data.
Reuters could not immediately contact Pergamon.
Broadcaster NTV earlier reported an explosion on the ship's bridge and water entering the engine room, before the crew sought assistance from Turkish authorities.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
No comments:
Post a Comment