The Turkish-linked tanker Altura (IMO 9292199), which was carrying a cargo of crude oil from the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, was targeted in a drone attack about 25 kilometers from the Bosphorus while still in the Black Sea, according to a report by Turkish broadcaster NTV.
It is unclear exactly when the attack on the vessel took place. Data from the ship-tracking service MarineTraffic suggests the tanker significantly reduced its speed near the Bosphorus on the evening of March 25.
NTV said the captain’s bridge was damaged, and that the engine room was flooded with water. None of the 27 crew members were injured.
The tanker departed from Novorossiysk on March 22 carrying 1 million barrels of Russian Urals crude, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The vessel was sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone, while its manager is the Turkish company Pergamon Denizcilik Isletmeler. The tanker itself is under European Union and UK sanctions for its suspected role in Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
