It was alleged that the M/T Mersin ship, belonging to the Beşiktaş Denizcilik company, was hit off the coast of Senegal. The ship was found half-sunk. The 183-meter-long tanker had not been transmitting an AIS signal for 5 days. In a published video, the ship was found in a half-sunk state. It was revealed that there was no one on the ship. The port administration announced that water had entered the ship’s engine room and it had begun to leak fuel, stating that they were investigating the possibility of an attack. It was reported that the oil on the ship had been unloaded and measures had been taken against the leak.
A statement came from the tanker’s owner, Beşiktaş Denizcilik company. The statement included the following expressions:
“As Beşiktaş Denizcilik, we feel the need to inform the public regarding the tanker named M/T Mersin (IMO 9428683), for which we provide technical management.
Around 23:45 UTC on November 27, 2025, while our ship was at anchor off the coast of Senegal, four explosions of external origin occurred, as a result of which the engine room was filled with seawater.
The incident was immediately brought under control and all our ship personnel are safe; there are no injuries, loss of life, or environmental pollution. The ship is in a safe, stable condition and does not pose any navigation or safety risk in its surrounding area.
Our company is working in full cooperation with the authorized insurance companies and the relevant Senegalese authorities, both managing the effects of the incident and supporting the ongoing technical and judicial investigations.”
It was stated that the condition of the tanker, which was waiting at anchor in Senegal’s internal maritime area, is stable. Class survey and calculations made by the company determined that there was no visible risk of the ship sinking. It was learned that Senegalese authorities are working to prevent an oil spill from the tanker. It was claimed that the tanker was hit by a Ukrainian unmanned sea vehicle due to its connection with the Russian shadow fleet. The reason for the ship being hit was stated to be that it was part of the “Russian shadow fleet,” which transports Russian oil and gas to third countries despite Western sanctions.
No statement has yet been received from Ukrainian, Russian, or Turkish authorities. Last week, the Kairos and Virat ships, also part of the Russian shadow fleet, were similarly hit off the coast of Kocaeli.
