An oil tanker under Turkish management carrying crude oil came under attack, likely from an unmanned surface drone, in the early hours of Thursday in the Black Sea near Istanbul, according to Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and Turkish media reports.
The tanker Altura, sailing under a foreign flag but managed by a Turkish company, had departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk carrying crude oil. According to the information available so far, the vessel was struck around 14 miles off the Bosphorus, with the engine room believed to have been the main target. No injuries were reported among the 27 Turkish crew members.
Speaking live on television, Uraloğlu said the ship alerted authorities after an explosion in the engine room shortly after midnight. He added that Turkish units were immediately dispatched to the area to provide assistance and monitor the situation.
Turkish media report that the Altura was carrying approximately 140,000 tonnes of oil and sustained damage to its upper structure and engine room. There were also reports that a distress signal was issued, prompting the mobilisation of rescue vessels.
The tanker has appeared in media reports as a vessel targeted by European Union sanctions and is described as part of the so‑called “shadow fleet” transporting Russian oil.
Source: CNA