The reported attack on the Midvolga-2 comes days after Ukraine attacked two other Russian-flagged ships in the Black Sea.
A Russian-flagged tanker in the Black Sea has been reported attacked off the Turkish coast, the third such ship to be targeted in a week.
Türkiye’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said Tuesday that the Midvolga-2 was reported to have been attacked about 130 km (80 miles) from land.
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It is being told that the tanker was carrying sunflower oil to Georgia. The attack follows Ukrainian naval drone attacks on two Russian-flagged ships that Kiev said were part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” to export crude in violation of international sanctions.
Friday’s attacks prompted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to warn that attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea signal a “worrying escalation” of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The directorate said on X that the 13 members of the Midvolga-2 crew were unharmed. He said the ship had not requested assistance and was heading towards Turkey’s Sinop port.
It did not give further details, but Turkish TV channel NTV reported that kamikaze drones were used.
A Turkish official told Reuters news agency that in response to the incident, “necessary messages were conveyed to relevant parties, including Ukrainian authorities”.
Turkish Balancing Act
A Kiev official told Reuters that the Kairos and Virat were targeted by Ukraine on Friday as they were headed to a Russian port to load oil for foreign markets.
A total of 113 such ships sailed under false flags in the first nine months of this year, transporting about 11 million tons of Russian crude, worth 4.7 billion euros ($5.4 billion), according to a recent report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based think tank.
Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained cordial relations with both Kiev and Moscow throughout the war, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
It has sought to play the role of mediator by hosting three rounds of peace talks.
As part of NATO, Ankara has provided military assistance to Ukraine. However, it has refused to join Western sanctions against the Kremlin and has insisted that navigation security be maintained in the Black Sea.
“We cannot ignore these attacks, which threaten navigational safety, life and the environment, especially in our own exclusive zone,” Erdogan said in a televised address on Monday. He said Turkiye had issued a warning to “all concerned parties”.
raw target
Kiev, which has carried out heavy attacks targeting its energy infrastructure for years, has in recent months focused on disrupting Russia’s oil industry to prevent Moscow from starving itself of funds to continue its war.
It has concentrated fires on Russian refineries and crude oil terminals.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure in the Black Sea were “terrorist acts” that threatened freedom of navigation in the region.
A Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at an oil facility in the southern Russian region of Oryol, officials said Tuesday.
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