A Russian-flagged tanker sailing in the Black Sea reported that it was attacked by a drone off the Turkish coast on Tuesday. This is the third Russian-linked vessel targeted in a week. All 13 crew members on board were reported safe.

Türkiye’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said the tanker, MIDVOLGA-2, reported the incident while it was about 130 km (80 miles) from the Turkish coast while carrying sunflower oil on a voyage from Russia to Georgia.

The vessel did not request assistance and continued towards Sinop, according to the authority. Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that a kamikaze drone may have been involved, though officials did not confirm this.

Türkiye’s maritime authority said the vessel was travelling from Russia to Georgia. However, the Tribeca shipping agency stated the tanker had been heading to Mersin before redirecting to Sinop after the attack. Tribeca also said the ship was struck by a drone, but it was not clear who carried out the attack.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Türkiye had sent “necessary messages” to all concerned parties, including Ukrainian authorities, but did not give more details.

Ukraine denied any role in the attack. A spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign ministry reportedly said it “made no sense” to hit a ship going to Georgia. The spokesperson suggested the incident might have been staged by Russia, but this was presented only as a possibility.

The incident followed Ukrainian naval drone attacks on two Russian-flagged tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, on Friday. The vessels were heading to a Russian port to load crude destined for foreign markets, according to Ukrainian officials quoted by media.

The tankers were described by Kyiv as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, used to move oil despite international sanctions. According to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), 113 ships operating under false flags transported 11 million tonnes of Russian crude worth €4.7 billion in the first nine months of this year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had already warned on Monday that attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea represented a “serious escalation”. He stated that Ankara could not accept actions that threatened navigational safety, life, or the environment.

Türkiye, a NATO member, has maintained balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the war. It has supplied military support to Kyiv while refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Ankara has also repeatedly urged both sides to protect shipping routes and has hosted multiple rounds of peace talks.

Russia’s foreign ministry recently said that Ukrainian attacks on tankers and oil facilities in the Black Sea were “acts of terrorism” and claimed they threatened freedom of navigation. President Vladimir Putin said Russia might increase attacks on Ukrainian facilities and could act against tankers helping Kyiv.

In another development, Besiktas Shipping from Türkiye said it had stopped all operations related to Russia. This came after one of its tankers was damaged by explosions while anchored near Senegal last week. The cause of those explosions was still unknown.

On Tuesday, officials in Russia’s Oryol region said a Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at an oil facility, adding to a series of recent attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

References: Reuters, FirstPost