We are talking about the ships Kairos and Virat, which are part of the so-called"shadow" fleet that Moscow uses to continue exporting oil despite the strict international blockade.
According to information from Bloomberg, the Kairos tanker, 900 feet long and Suezmax class, started leaking water after the explosion at the northern entrance of the Bosphorus. At the same time, Turkish authorities confirmed a second incident with the tanker Virat, which was seen smoking off the Turkish coast of the Black Sea.
Two oil tankers, the M/T KAIROS and M/T VIRAT, alleged to be part of the"Russian Shadow Fleet" exploded and caught fire earlier today in the Southern Black Sea, shortly after crossing north through the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey. The tankers, which were enroute to the Russian…— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 28, 2025
Turkey's Directorate of Maritime Affairs described the events as the result of"external influence", and an extensive rescue operation was launched for both ships. 25 crew members were evacuated from the Kairos ship due to fear that the ship could sink.
A second oil tanker has gone up in flames in the Black Sea. Both ships have been identified as the M/T Kairos and M/T Virat. The destination of both oilers is the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
Shortly after crossing the Bosporus north of Istanbul they were struck by USVs. Both… pic.twitter.com/aN22d7KI7y— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) November 28, 2025
Both ships were empty at the time of the incident Kairos, which has been sanctioned by the UK and the European Union, was returning to Novorossiysk after delivering Urals crude oil to Paradip, India. The ship is flying the flag of The Gambia.
Virat, sanctioned by the US and the EU, has been inactive in the western Black Sea for most of 2025, after being blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in January.
Bloomberg reports that this is not the first time that ships connected to Russian oil exports have experienced unexplained explosions in the region. Similar incidents have been reported this year, often involving tankers that previously docked at Russian ports.
