A Russian-linked tanker was hit again in the Black Sea on Tuesday, marking the fourth such incident in a week as maritime attacks spread across several regions.
Turkey’s Directorate of Maritime Affairs said the Midvolga 2 was struck about 80 miles (129 km) off the Turkish coast while sailing from Russia to Georgia with a cargo of sunflower oil.
Thirteen crew members were on board. The ship did not request help, and no injuries were reported. The vessel is now heading toward the Turkish port of Sinop.
The attack comes several days after four explosions rocked the tanker Mersin near Dakar, Senegal, on Thursday, Nov. 27 – but the information was only officially confirmed on Monday, Dec. 1.
Turkish maritime agency Deniz Haber reported that the 183-meter (600-foot), 50,000-ton vessel, owned by a Turkish shipping company, was hit by a Ukrainian drone.
The ship, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was reportedly carrying Russian oil – its last port of call was Russia’s Taman in August – and had been stationary off Africa’s west coast for some time.
The blasts breached the hull and flooded the engine room, but the crew was unharmed, and no environmental damage was reported.
No official statements have been released by Senegal, Turkey, or the ship’s owners, and the exact circumstances of the drone strike remain unclear.
On Nov. 28, two tankers under the Gambian flag – Kairos and Virat – were hit near the Bosphorus in the Black Sea. Turkish rescue teams evacuated 25 sailors from the burning Kairos, while all 20 crew members on the Virat were reported unharmed.
The OpenSanctions database, which monitors individuals and organizations involved in sanctions evasion, identifies the vessels as part of a fleet used to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian security sources later told Kyiv Post that the two tankers were struck by Sea Baby naval drones, which Kyiv has used to target Russia’s military and logistics at sea.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said both ships, which were en route to Russian ports, were left disabled.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attacks, calling them a “worrying escalation.”
“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. “We are issuing the necessary warnings to all parties regarding such situations.”