The vessel damaged in the Black Sea strike at the end of November has run aground off the Bulgarian coast. The crew was evacuated, and the rescue operation is complicated by a storm, DW reports.
The tanker Kairos, attacked by maritime drones at the end of November, is in distress off the coast of Bulgaria, local media reported on Friday, December 5. The vessel, flying the flag of Gambia, is classified as part of the so-called "shadow fleet" that transports Russian oil to circumvent sanctions.
Kairos was attacked on November 28, 28 nautical miles off the coast of Turkey. According to sources, it sustained significant damage. As of December 5, Bloomberg reported, the tanker was approximately one mile off the coast of Bulgaria. The vessel ran aground. There were 10 crew members on board, all of whom were evacuated by the Bulgarian Maritime Administration with military support.
Operation Complicated by Storm
A strong storm is observed in the area of the accident in the Black Sea, complicating rescue operations. Representatives of the maritime administration noted that despite the adverse conditions, the situation is under control. It was reported that there were no oil products on board the tanker at the time of the attack.
On November 28, the tankers Kairos and Virat, both flying the flag of Gambia, were attacked by maritime drones almost simultaneously several dozen miles off the coast of Turkey. Ukrainian media, citing sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reported that this was an operation by the SBU using upgraded drones.
The Kremlin described the incident as a "flagrant case." The press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, stated that those responsible for the attack "encroached on the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic and the safety of shipowners." Turkey, in turn, stated that these incidents created a "serious threat to navigation, life, property, and environmental safety in the region."
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