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Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that Moscow will intensify strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels as another oil tanker came under drone attack in the Black Sea, marking the third such incident off the Turkish coast in less than a week.
Putin's remarks, delivered as the Russian-flagged Midvolga 2 reported being hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle, represented a sharp escalation in rhetoric over maritime security in the strategic waterway. The Russian leader also issued a stark message to European nations, saying Moscow does not plan to fight Europe but stands ready if European countries initiate conflict.
"If Black Sea attacks continue, we can cut off Ukraine from the sea," Putin said, according to statements released by the Kremlin. He accused Ukraine of focusing solely on "begging for money" rather than addressing economic conditions or battlefield developments.
The comments came hours after the Midvolga 2, described as carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia, sustained minor damage in the drone strike approximately 80 nautical miles off Türkiye's Black Sea coast. All 13 crew members escaped injury, and the vessel proceeded under its own power toward the Turkish port of Sinop.
Putin directed particular criticism at European governments, asserting they lack a genuine peace agenda and are obstructing U.S. attempts to find a resolution to the nearly three-year conflict. "Europe is offering completely unacceptable proposals for Russia," he said, without specifying what those proposals entailed.
The Russian president's warning to Europe that Moscow is "ready" for war if provoked adds another volatile element to already-tense relations between Russia and Western powers supporting Ukraine. His assertion that Europeans are hindering American diplomatic initiatives could not be immediately verified, and neither U.S. nor European officials responded to the claim by late Tuesday.
Tuesday's incident follows a more dramatic pair of attacks Friday that struck two empty oil tankers—the Virat and the Kairos—both flying Gambian flags. A Ukrainian security source told international media that Ukrainian forces had deployed naval drones against those vessels, which were allegedly "covertly transporting Russian oil" in violation of Western sanctions.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry explicitly denied any role in Tuesday's attack on the Midvolga 2. Spokesman Georgii Tykhyi questioned the plausibility of the vessel's reported route from Russia to Georgia across Türkiye's exclusive economic zone, suggesting Moscow may have staged the incident.
The Midvolga 2 is listed on maritime tracking sites as an oil and chemical tanker, though Russian and Turkish authorities described its cargo as sunflower oil. Russia's maritime transport agency, Rosmorrechflot, confirmed the drone attack caused only superficial damage to the ship's superstructure without breaching the hull.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the spike in Black Sea attacks Monday, calling them a "worrying escalation" that threatens navigation safety, the environment, and lives within Türkiye's waters. "We cannot under any circumstances accept these attacks," Erdogan said, adding that Ankara is issuing warnings to all parties involved.
Türkiye occupies a uniquely sensitive position in the conflict, maintaining relations with both Moscow and Kyiv while controlling the Bosphorus Strait—the critical passage connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The waterway serves as a vital corridor for Ukrainian grain exports and Russian oil shipments, making maritime security there a matter of global economic concern.
Friday's attacks struck the Kairos approximately 100 kilometers east of where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea as it headed toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The Virat was hit roughly 400 kilometers farther east and reported a second explosion early Saturday, though none of its 20 crew members were injured. Both vessels had been subject to Western sanctions for transporting Russian oil in defiance of the embargo imposed following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia remains the world's third-largest crude oil producer, and Western sanctions aim to restrict Moscow's oil revenues that help fund its military operations in Ukraine.
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