Two sanctioned tankers hit by ‘explosions’

Two tankers sanctioned by the West were damaged by explosions in the Black Sea on Friday, Turkish officials said.

Kairos, a Gambian-flagged vessel bound for Russia’s port of Novorossiysk, caught fire 28 nautical miles (51 km) off Türkiye’s coast due to unspecified “external factors,” the Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said. All 25 crew members, most of them Chinese nationals, were rescued by the Coast Guard.

Footage published by officials shows the ship engulfed in flames.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the information received from the ship “indicated a possible mine strike.” He confirmed that the initial assessment suggested “external impact.”

The second vessel, the Gambian-flagged tanker Virat, reported a “strike” 35 nautical miles (65 km) off the Turkish coast. Local media said the ship had communicated that it was attacked by drones. Uraloglu said rescue vessels were deployed to evacuate Virat’s crew of 20.

Photos released by officials show a hole in the ship’s hull.

Both tankers have been sanctioned by Western states for transporting oil in violation of restrictions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has denied operating a “shadow fleet.”

The Black Sea has remained the scene of tensions since February, as Russia and Ukraine have attacked each other’s naval assets. Floating mines have drifted far from the Ukrainian coast throughout the conflict, even reaching the Bosphorus.

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