Tanker carrying Russian oil hit in underwater attack: Turkey
What's the story
A Turkish-operated oil tanker was reportedly attacked in the Black Sea on Thursday. The attack caused an explosion in the engine room of the Sierra Leone-flagged vessel operated by a Turkish company. "We believe that the engine room was specifically targeted. We think the attack was not carried out by a drone, but by an unmanned surface vehicle at water level," said Turkey's Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu.
Location details
Attack aimed at disabling ship completely
While the exact location of the attack remains unclear, local media reports suggest it happened less than 30km from the Bosphorus strait. Uraloglu said, "It appears to be an externally caused explosion, particularly directed at the engine room, with the aim of completely disabling the ship." He confirmed that necessary units have been dispatched to monitor and respond to this incident.
Geopolitical context
Turkey's stance on Russia-Ukraine war
Turkey, which has a strategic location on the northern shore of Ukraine and Crimea, has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In December, Turkey had warned against the Black Sea becoming an "area of confrontation" between Russia and Ukraine. "Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said.