Drone attacks oil tanker off Türkiye's coast
Photo: A drone attacked an oil tanker off the coast of Türkiye (Getty Images)
The oil tanker Elbus, flying the flag of Palau, was sailing in the Black Sea off the coast of Türkiye, near the city of Kastamonu, when it was attacked by a drone, Ortadogu reports.
The tanker was heading to the Russian port of Novorossiysk to load oil. The attack damaged the upper part of the tanker, but none of the crew members were injured. After the distress signal from the ship, Coast Guard teams were sent to the scene.
The damaged tanker is being towed to the port of Inebolu for a detailed inspection and safety measures. The source of the attack and the extent of the damage will be determined after technical inspections at the port.
According to the agency, although no official statements have been made regarding the source of the incident, the nature of the attack and the security situation in the region are being closely monitored by Turkish authorities.
Background
Recently, two tankers of Russia's shadow fleet - Kairos and Virat - were hit by the Security Service of Ukraine's Sea Baby drones with enhanced combat capabilities. It was a joint operation of the 13th Main Directorate of Military Counterintelligence of the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy.
Before this, explosions occurred on two tankers belonging to Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea near the Bosphorus Strait, causing the ships to catch fire.
In the last weeks of December, Ukrainian drones attacked four oil tankers linked to Russia's shadow fleet, which helps Moscow circumvent international sanctions.
Three ships were hit by sea drones in the Black Sea, and another by air drones in the Mediterranean Sea, more than 1,200 miles from Ukraine.
