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A Russian tanker, the MIDVOLGA 2 (IMO: 9735139), en route to Georgia, came under attack in the Black Sea off the coast of northern Turkey, Ankara’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs announced on social media. It is the third vessel damaged near the Turkish shoreline since Nov. 28.
According to the Turkish authority, the tanker was carrying a cargo of sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia. The MIDVOLGA 2 was attacked roughly 80 nautical miles (about 140 kilometers) off the coast.
Thirteen crew members are on board. The vessel did not request assistance, and there were no immediate reports of injuries. The tanker was last reported to be moving toward the Turkish port city of Sinop.
Russia’s Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport confirmed the attack, saying that the tanker was struck by a drone at around 8 a.m.
“There is minor damage to the ship’s superstructure, but no flooding,” the state-controlled news agency TASS quoted the Russian authority as saying.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, said that Ukraine had no role in Tuesday’s attack and argued the the “alleged route from Russia to Georgia across Türkiye's EEZ makes no sense.” He added that “Russia may have staged the whole thing.”
Late last week, two tankers linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” were damaged in explosions while sailing to the port of Novorossiysk. Ukrainian media, citing intelligence sources, later reported that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) had claimed responsibility for the operation, which they said involved upgraded Sea Baby maritime drones.
On Nov. 30, reports also emerged that a Turkish oil tanker was sinking off the coast of Senegal. Some media outlets speculated that it had been hit by Ukrainian drones as it was transporting Russian oil, yet no definitive evidence has yet emerged to support that claim. The vessel’s owner reported four external explosions, after which water began flooding the engine room.