Tanker Loaded With Russian Oil Hit In Underwater Attack In Black Sea: Turkey

A Turkish-operated oil tanker was attacked early Thursday within the Black Sea, probably by an unmanned floor car, Turkey’s transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu mentioned.

“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 mentioned 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.”

The minister wouldn’t specify if the assault on the Sierra Leone-flagged tanker occurred in Turkish waters however native media reported that it occurred lower than 30 kilometres from the Bosphorus strait. 

“It appears to be an externally caused explosion, particularly directed at the engine room, with the aim of completely disabling the ship,” Uraloglu mentioned. 

“We have sent the necessary units to the scene and are monitoring the situation,” he added. 

In December, Turkey witnessed a collection of safety incidents linked to the Russia-Ukraine battle, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning towards the Black Sea turning into an “area of confrontation” between the fighters. 

Turkey, whose northern shore faces Ukraine and annexed Crimea, has maintained shut ties with each Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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