Türkiye’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs announced on Tuesday that a tanker sailing from Russia to Georgia was attacked some 80 miles (128.75 kilometers) from the Turkish coast. It is the latest instance of spillover of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the Black Sea, where Türkiye shares about a 1,700-kilometer border.
The incident is a dramatic escalation of maritime attacks in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that was largely confined to the northern coasts of the Black Sea. Prior to the attack, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday underlined the serious risk to maritime security as he commented on two other attacks last week.
Last week, two oil tankers were attacked off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. Ukraine has acknowledged that it carried out the earlier attacks, reportedly on Russian tankers, part of what is dubbed a "shadow fleet" utilized by Russia to evade Western sanctions on trade. A Ukrainian security source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) their forces had carried out the earlier attacks, with drones targeting vessels that were "covertly transporting Russian oil."
The directorate said the MIDVOLGA-2 tanker carrying sunflower oil reported the attack to Turkish authorities, though the source of the attack is not known at this time. Unconfirmed reports say the ship was Russian-flagged. “The ship did not issue a distress signal and all its 13 personnel were not affected. It is currently heading to Sinop,” the statement by the directorate on social media said. Sinop is Türkiye’s northernmost Black Sea province. Turkish broadcaster NTV said the attack involved a kamikaze drone.
Referring to attacks on two commercial tankers in the Black Sea, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday that the Ukraine war appears to have reached a level that clearly threatens navigation safety in the Black Sea.
Last week, the Gambian-flagged KAIROS caught fire after an explosion 28 miles off the coast of the Turkish Black Sea province of Kefken. Within a span of less than two hours, Turkish authorities received a distress call from VIRAT, another tanker, some 35 miles off the Turkish coast, as the crew reported an attack on the vessel. Unconfirmed reports say that the attacks may also involve Ukrainian sea drones. One such drone washed ashore on the Black Sea province of Trabzon's coast last September.
Targeting of merchant ships in Türkiye's Exclusive Economic Zone "signals a worrying escalation," the Turkish president stressed in remarks after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.
Ankara cannot excuse attacks on its Exclusive Economic Zone, "which threaten navigation, life and environmental safety," he said.
Erdoğan said Türkiye is closely following the latest diplomatic efforts to end the war and consistently emphasizes that it stands ready to contribute whenever necessary.
Asked about the latest attack, a Turkish official told Reuters, "The necessary messages were conveyed to the relevant parties, including Ukrainian authorities," but he did not elaborate further.
Türkiye, a NATO member, has maintained cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow throughout the war. It has provided military support to Ukraine but refused to join the Western sanctions regime on Moscow.
It has previously hosted three rounds of peace talks between the warring sides in Istanbul and repeatedly offered to host a leaders' meeting, saying an end to the war must be achieved now.
Commenting on attacks, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, told reporters at a news briefing on Monday that "attacks against civilians, civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, are prohibited under international law wherever they occur." "We all urge de-escalation and reiterate our position, which is consistent, to say the least, in support of an immediate, full and unconditional cease-fire that could pave the way toward a just, lasting, comprehensive peace in Ukraine in line with the Charter, international law and relevant U.N. resolutions," he stated.
