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A third Russian tanker has been targeted in the Black Sea, following attacks on two other vessels in recent days, raising alarms over maritime security in the region.
The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs announced that the vessel, identified as the "MIDVOLGA-2," was attacked while en route to Georgia. The ship has since diverted its course toward the northern Turkish city of Sinop.
According to the official statement, the tanker was transporting sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia when it reported the attack 80 miles off the coast of Türkiye.
"There is currently no negative situation regarding the 13 personnel, and the ship has not requested assistance. The vessel is navigating toward Sinop under its own power with its engines operational," the directorate stated.
The incident follows a coordinated assault last Saturday night. The Gambian-flagged Russian tanker KAIROS caught fire after an explosion 28 miles off the coast of Kefken, followed 1.5 hours later by a distress call from the tanker VIRAT (reported as VIROT in some sources), which stated, "We have been hit" 35 miles offshore.
Reports in Ukrainian media claim the operation was jointly conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy using "Seababy" unmanned surface vessels (sea drones). Kyiv alleges that these vessels are part of Russia's "shadow fleet," used to evade international sanctions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attacks in a statement issued Monday, warning that the Russia-Ukraine war is threatening navigation safety.
"We cannot in any way excuse the targeting of ships in our exclusive economic zone on Friday," Erdogan said. "We are issuing necessary warnings to all parties regarding such situations. We are closely following the activity in recent weeks aimed at ending the war."
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