A crude oil tanker carrying Russian oil was struck by a marine drone in the Black Sea on Thursday, causing an explosion near Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait, Turkish authorities reported. As reported in Reuters, the incident occurred just outside Turkish territorial waters, about 18 nautical miles from the strategic waterway linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
Turkey’s Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said all 27 crew members of the Sierra Leone-flagged vessel, the Altura, were safe, and the coastguard was dispatched to the scene. Ship-tracking data showed the tanker had departed from Russia’s Novorossiysk port carrying nearly 1 million barrels of crude oil and was sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Targeted attack amid rising Black Sea tensions
The attack appears aimed at disabling the tanker’s engine room. Turkey’s Defence Ministry said it is closely monitoring the risks posed by drones in the Black Sea, which have been used extensively during the Russia-Ukraine war. The ministry also noted the dangers of drones losing control or drifting toward Turkish coastal waters.
The Altura incident is part of a series of recent attacks involving Western-sanctioned vessels in the Black Sea, which have previously included Russian-bound tankers and Turkish and Russian naval vessels. Last year, Ukrainian naval drone attacks on Russian tankers prompted a spike in shipping insurance rates and warnings from Ankara to both Moscow and Kyiv to avoid strikes near Turkish waters.
Response and patrols
Turkish naval vessels are actively patrolling the Black Sea to safeguard shipping and civilian safety. While there was no immediate reaction from Moscow or Kyiv, Turkey is engaging with international counterparts to maintain navigational safety in the region.
The Altura is owned by China-based Sea Grace Shipping Ltd and managed by Turkey-based Pergamon Denizcilik. According to reports, the explosion affected the ship’s bridge and water entered the engine room before the crew requested assistance.
