Russian tanker Midvolga 2 attacked in Black Sea near Türkiye

The Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure stated that the tanker Midvolga 2 came under attack 80 miles from the coast of Türkiye.

"The vessel, with engines operating, is heading toward Sinop (a port city on Türkiye's Black Sea coast)," the ministry told the Turkish outlet. The ministry clarified that the vessel is not requesting assistance, and none of the 13 crew members were injured.

According to the vessel-tracking platform VesselFinder, the tanker Midvolga 2 was built in 2014 and sails under the Russian flag. The vessel is 140 meters long.

Attacks on Russian tankers

On November 28, two tankers belonging to Russia's shadow fleet caught fire in the Black Sea near the Bosphorus Strait (the waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara). In particular, the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure stated that an explosion occurred on the tanker Kairos and a fire broke out as it was traveling from Egypt to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

Another tanker, Virat, was damaged about 35 nautical miles from the coast of Türkiye.

The next day, on November 29, Ukraine's Security Service Sea Baby naval drones successfully struck two sanctioned tankers, Kairos and Virat, in the Black Sea.

The attack used upgraded Sea Baby drones capable of long-distance travel and equipped with enhanced charges. Both tankers suffered critical damage and were effectively taken out of operation, dealing a blow to the transportation of Russian oil.

According to sources, the vessels were empty and en route to Novorossiysk for loading at the time of the attack. Such attacks limit Russia's financial ability to wage war, as the tankers could transport oil worth almost 70 million dollars and were used to bypass international sanctions.