Türkiye on Saturday expressed concern over Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian oil tankers operating as part of a so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea, saying the incidents posed risks to navigation and environmental safety within its exclusive economic zone.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said the vessels Kairos and Virat were struck inside Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction. “These actions have posed serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region,” he said in a statement on social media.
Keçeli said Ankara was holding talks with “the relevant parties” to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading across the Black Sea and to safeguard Türkiye’s economic interests.
Ukraine said it used naval drones to hit both tankers in quick succession late Friday off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. All crew members on board were reported safe.
OpenSanctions, a database tracking entities linked to sanctions evasion, identifies the ships as part of a fleet used to circumvent Western restrictions imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has carried out a series of successful naval strikes on Russian shipping using explosives-laden marine drones, though such operations have largely been confined to the northern Black Sea.
Both Russia and Ukraine have deployed sea mines since the start of the conflict. While many have been cleared, others have drifted due to storms, posing hazards to commercial shipping.
In 2024, NATO members Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania established the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group (MCM Black Sea) to coordinate de-mining operations in the region.