A Russian-flagged tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea, the Turkish maritime authority said Tuesday, days after two oil tankers were attacked in the southern Black Sea off the coast of Türkiye.
The Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said the tanker MIDVOLGA-2 came under attack 80 nautical miles off the Turkish coast while en route from Russia to Georgia carrying sunflower oil.
The 13 crew members were unharmed, and the 6573-dwt chemical/oil products tanker has not requested assistance.
It was heading toward the Turkish port of Sinop, the maritime authority said in a statement on X.
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against Ukraine’s drone attack on two tankers on Friday, saying it signalled a “worrying escalation” in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We cannot condone attacks that threaten navigation, life, and the environment, especially in our own exclusive economic zone,” Erdogan said on Monday. “The war between Russia and Ukraine has clearly reached a point where it threatens navigational safety in the Black Sea.”
Turkey, which maintains ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has repeatedly pushed for renewed negotiations and insists that maritime safety in the region must be protected.
Ankara has consistently offered to host peace talks and stressed the importance of Black Sea navigational safety.
Friday’s attacks against the two tankers occurred inside Turkey’s exclusive economic zone. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.
Ankara issued the necessary warnings to all parties concerned and asked that navigational safety in the Black Sea is ensured.
The Turkish authorities said that they are now “closely monitoring the activity in recent weeks aimed at ending the war,” and expressing “readiness to make the necessary contribution at every opportunity.”
