In the Black Sea near the coast of Turkey, drones attacked three tankers linked to the Russian "shadow fleet." Preliminary reports indicate that one of them lost its ability to maneuver normally after the strike.
Three tankers, under international sanctions for their involvement in transporting Russian oil, were attacked by drones in the Black Sea approximately 80 kilometers from the Turkish city of Türkeli.
According to Bloomberg, the vessels Altura and Velora, operated by Turkish operators, were attacked on Thursday night. At the time of the incident, cargo was being transferred from one tanker to another.
The tanker James II was also hit, which, according to the Equasis database, is managed by an Indian company.
There is currently limited official information regarding the nature of the damages. However, after the attack, the navigation status of James II changed from "underway" to "uncontrolled." This may indicate technical problems on board following the strike.
According to the Tribeca agency, the drone struck the area of the engine room of the tanker. At that moment, there were 20 crew members on board.
It has been reported that rescue vessels from the coast guard were dispatched to the scene. Preliminary information indicates that none of the sailors were injured.
All three attacked vessels are part of the so-called Russian "shadow fleet" — a network of tankers used to export oil and petroleum products in circumvention of Western restrictions. Such vessels have increasingly come under the scrutiny of sanctioning bodies and international investigations in recent years.
For the global oil market, such incidents are significant as they affect the routes for transporting raw materials and the operations of vessels already under sanction pressure.
The reasons for the attack have not yet been officially reported. The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated.
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