A Russian-flagged tanker in the Black Sea has reported being attacked off the Turkish coast, the third such vessel to have been targeted within a week.
The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said on Tuesday that the Midvolga-2 had reported coming under attack about 130km (80 miles) from land.
The tanker was reportedly carrying sunflower oil to Georgia. The attack follows strikes by Ukrainian naval drones on two Russian-flagged vessels that Kyiv said were part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” shipping crude exports in violation of international sanctions.
Friday’s strikes saw Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warn that attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea signalled a “worrying escalation” of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The 13 members of the Midvolga-2 crew were unharmed, the directorate said on X, adding that the vessel had not requested assistance and it was proceeding towards Turkiye’s Sinop port.
It did not provide further details, but Turkish TV channel NTV reported that a kamikaze drone was used.
A Turkish official told the Reuters news agency that in response to the incident, “the necessary messages were conveyed to the relevant parties, including Ukrainian authorities”.
Turkish balancing act
The Kairos and the Virat were targeted on Friday by Ukraine as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, a Kyiv official told Reuters.
A total of 113 such vessels sailed under a false flag in the first nine months of this year, transporting some 11 million tonnes of Russian crude, valued at 4.7 billion euros ($5.4bn), according to a recent report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based think tank.
NATO member Turkiye has maintained cordial relations with both Kyiv and Moscow throughout the war, which was triggered when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
It has sought to assume a role as a mediator, hosting three rounds of peace talks.
As part of NATO, Ankara has provided military support to Ukraine. However, it has refused to join Western sanctions against the Kremlin and insisted that navigational security be maintained in the Black Sea.
“We cannot condone these attacks, which threaten navigational safety, life, and the environment, especially in our own exclusive zone,” Erdogan said in a televised address on Monday, adding that Turkiye had issued a warning to “all related sides”.
Crude target
Kyiv, which for years has sustained heavy attacks targeting its energy infrastructure, has focused in recent months on disrupting Russia’s oil industry in a bid to starve Moscow of funds to sustain its war.
It has concentrated fire on Russian refineries and crude terminals.
infrastructure in the Black Sea were “acts of terrorism” that threatened freedom of navigation in the region.
A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil facility in the southern Russian region of Oryol, authorities said on Tuesday.
