Oil Tanker Explodes After Drone Strike in Black Sea Near Turkey

A maritime drone attacked a Russian oil tanker in the Black Sea early Thursday morning, causing an explosion near Turkey's coast. All 27 crew members aboard the sanctioned vessel are safe, according to Turkish officials.

ISTANBUL – A maritime drone attacked an oil tanker departing from Russia early Thursday morning, triggering an explosion in Black Sea waters close to Turkey’s Bosphorus strait, according to Turkey’s transportation minister.

Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed to Kanal 24 that the early morning incident represents another in a series of recent attacks on Western-sanctioned ships traveling to and from Russian harbors.

The minister reported that all 27 crew members remained unharmed, with Turkish coastguard units responding to assist the vessel Altura, positioned approximately 18 nautical miles from the Bosphorus – a crucial shipping corridor connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara and Mediterranean seas.

According to Uraloglu, the assault occurred just beyond Turkish territorial boundaries and appeared designed to cripple the engine compartment of the Sierra Leone-registered ship transporting Russian crude oil.

Maritime tracking systems and Refinitiv AIS information indicated the tanker had departed Russia’s Novorossiysk port carrying roughly 1 million barrels of crude oil, operating near maximum capacity.

Both the European Union and Britain have imposed sanctions on the vessel. The Black Sea borders Russia and Ukraine, nations engaged in conflict for over four years, along with additional neighboring countries.

Turkey’s defense ministry announced Thursday its close surveillance of Black Sea drone-related dangers, citing their widespread deployment in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Officials noted concerns about unmanned aircraft losing navigation or power and drifting toward Turkish shores.

“We are talking to our counterparts and conveying necessary warnings to maintain navigational safety in the Black Sea,” the ministry stated during its weekly briefing, without directly referencing Thursday’s drone incident. They added that Turkish naval forces were conducting area patrols to protect vessels and civilians from harm.

Maritime insurance costs increased late last year following Ukrainian naval drone strikes against Russia-bound tankers in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to issue retaliation threats and leading NATO member Turkey to call for restraint.

Ankara has previously cautioned both Kyiv and Moscow against conducting such operations near Turkish waters during earlier Black Sea tensions, which resulted in drone strikes on Russian and Turkish ships and damage to Ukrainian ports.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv provided immediate responses Thursday.

Refinitiv records show the attacked vessel’s registered owner is China-based Sea Grace Shipping Ltd, while Turkey-based Pergamon Denizcilik serves as the ship’s manager.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach Pergamon for comment.

Television broadcaster NTV initially reported an explosion on the ship’s bridge with water flooding the engine compartment, before crew members requested help from Turkish authorities.