According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, Turkey stated on local time Saturday (November 29) that an oil tanker allegedly belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” was attacked by an unmanned vessel off the coast of the Turkish Black Sea. This tanker was first attacked late Friday (November 28) night.
According to a Reuters report, the Turkish Ministry of Transport said in a statement on Saturday that the oil tanker “Virat” sustained minor damage in the attack, is currently in stable condition, and all crew members are safe. The statement said: “After the oil tanker ‘Virat’ was attacked by an unmanned vessel in the Black Sea waters about 35 kilometers offshore, it was attacked again by an unmanned vessel this morning.”
On the other hand, the Turkish Ministry of Transport also stated that authorities are continuing firefighting and cooling operations on another oil tanker heading to Russia. The Gambia-flagged “Kairos” was en route to the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk when it exploded and caught fire due to external factors at a point 28 nautical miles from the Turkish coastline.
Authorities pointed out that rescue teams have evacuated 25 crew members from the 274-meter-long “Kairos”, and all crew are safe. Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed on social media on the evening of the 28th that two empty oil tankers exploded and caught fire in open waters of the Black Sea that day, and rescue personnel had safely evacuated a total of 45 crew members from the two tankers. Turkish authorities stated that these tankers were not carrying oil at the time, so there was no risk of causing pollution. According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, both the “Kairos” and the “Virat” were included in the sanctioned vessel list after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and Russia was sanctioned.
An official from the Security Service of Ukraine said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces used underwater drones to strike two Russian oil tankers used for oil exports in the Black Sea. The anonymous official stated that this joint operation targeting “shadow fleet” vessels was executed jointly by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy. The official said: “Video footage shows that both tankers suffered significant damage after the attacks and have basically lost their navigation capability. This will deal a major blow to Russian oil transportation.” Russia has not yet responded to this matter.
Disclaimer: This article is reprinted for the purpose of conveying more information. If there is any source labeling error or infringement of your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us with proof of ownership, and we will correct or delete it promptly. Thank you.
