Turkish Minister Reveals New Attack on Black Sea Tanker

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu has disclosed details of a recent drone strike on the oil tanker VİRAT in the Black Sea.

Uraloglu noted that VİRAT - one of two tankers headed to Novorossiysk port - had previously caught fire near Türkiye’s Black Sea coast after an earlier explosion. On November 29 morning, it was attacked again by a surface drone, The Caspian Post informs via Russian media.

The tanker sustained minor damage on its starboard side, remained stable, and the crew was unharmed. There was no fire reported on board. “The captain called us for help, saying a drone had attacked the vessel. Our Coast Guard boats were dispatched immediately,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the other tanker, Kairos, which was hit in the previous attack, is still undergoing firefighting operations inside the ship, although the exterior flames have been extinguished. Uraloglu added that both vessels will likely be towed to the nearest port once the fire on Kairos is fully controlled.