Türkiye Confirms Second Drone Strike on Oil Tanker in the Black Sea

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport has confirmed that an empty oil tanker was struck for the second time in the Black Sea early Saturday, attributing the attack to an unmanned sea vehicle.

In a statement on X, the ministry said the tanker Virat—previously reported to have been hit by unmanned maritime vehicles about 35 nautical miles off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast—came under attack again overnight. The vessel sustained minor damage to its starboard side, and all 20 crew members are safe.

The ministry had earlier reported that two empty tankers, the Virat and the Kairos, experienced explosions in Turkish waters late Friday, though the cause was not initially confirmed. Saturday’s statement marked the first official acknowledgment that the Virat was targeted by a drone.

The Kairos had been en route to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea port. Part of a key oil terminal there suspended operations following “significant damage” caused by a naval drone strike, according to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which handles large volumes of Kazakh oil exports. The CPC did not assign responsibility for the attack.

The Kairos explosion occurred around 1500 GMT on Friday, igniting a fire and prompting the evacuation of all 25 crew members. The vessel was approximately 100 kilometers east of the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait at the time.

The Virat was struck later on Friday, roughly 400 kilometers farther east, according to tracking data from VesselFinder.

Türkiye’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said both ships were hit by “explosions,” telling NTV that preliminary assessments suggested a mine, a rocket, or a drone.

“An external impact means the vessel may have been hit by a mine, a rocket, or a similar projectile—possibly a drone or an unmanned underwater vehicle,” he said.

Ukraine Admits Striking Two Oil Tankers

Ukraine has acknowledged responsibility for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea, saying it targeted the vessels because they were allegedly transporting sanctioned Russian oil, according to a Ukrainian security source.

The tankers — identified as Virat and Kairos — were hit by explosions off Turkey’s coast late Friday, the Turkish Transport Ministry reported. One of the vessels was struck a second time early Saturday, the ministry added.

A source from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told AFP that “modernised Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels.” The agency also released a video claiming to show maritime drones approaching the tankers before the blasts occurred.

Authorities in Turkey said emergency teams were monitoring the situation, with no immediate reports of casualties.