A Turkish crude oil tanker that sailed from Russia was hit by a naval drone, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The incident, one of several in recent months involving ships under Western sanctions en route to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours of the morning, Uraloglu told Kanal 24 television.
All 27 crew members are safe, he said, adding that the coast guard was dispatched to the Altura, which was about 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) from the Bosphorus, a key shipping route for goods that connects the Black Sea with the Seas of Marmara and the Mediterranean.
The attack, which took place just outside Turkish territorial waters, was likely aimed at disabling the engine room of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship, which was carrying Russian oil, Uraloglu said.
Ship tracking data and Refinitiv AIS showed that the Altura had set sail from the Russian port of Novorossiysk with about a million barrels of crude oil and appeared to be almost fully loaded.
The ship is under sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom. The Black Sea is shared by Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war for more than four years, as well as other countries.
Late last year, shipping insurance prices soared after Ukrainian naval drones hit tankers sailing towards Russia in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to threaten retaliation and NATO member Turkey to call for calm.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow and Kiev.
According to Refinitiv data, the registered owner of the last affected ship is the Chinese company "Sea Grace Shipping Ltd", and the manager is the Turkish company "Pergamon Denizcilik".
Reuters could not immediately reach Pergamon for comment.
NTV television previously reported an explosion on the ship's bridge and water entering the engine room, after which the crew requested assistance from Turkish authorities.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
