ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea, the Turkish
maritime authority said Tuesday, days after two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers were attacked by Ukrainian naval
The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said the MIDVOLGA-2 came under attack about 130 kilometers (80
miles) off the Turkish coast. The 13 crew members were unharmed and the vessel has not requested assistance.
It was heading toward the Turkish port of Sinop, the maritime authority said in a statement on X.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against Ukraine’s drone attack on two Russian vessels, the
Kairos and Virat, saying it signaled a “worrying escalation” of the conflict.
“We cannot condone these attacks, which threaten navigational safety, life, and the environment, especially in our own
exclusive zone,” Erdogan said in a televised address. “We are issuing the necessary warnings to all parties regarding
Friday’s attacks against the Kairos and Virat occurred inside Turkey’s exclusive economic zone. Crew members on board
both vessels were reported to be safe.
The OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organizations involved in sanctions evasion, describes the vessels as
part of a fleet of ships used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian shipping during the war, particularly using
explosives-packed marine drones. However, Ukrainian missions have previously largely been limited to the waters of the