In the Black Sea, near Istanbul, an unidentified drone attacked the Turkish tanker Altura, which was carrying Russian oil. The strike caused an explosion.
This information was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Bloomberg.
Details of the incident
The Altura, loaded with crude oil, was targeted 15 nautical miles (28 kilometers) from the Bosphorus. The Suezmax-class vessel was carrying about 1 million barrels of Urals crude from Novorossiysk.
The tanker is subject to sanctions by the United Kingdom and the European Union but is not subject to U.S. economic restrictions. According to HaberDenizde, an explosion occurred on the bridge, and the engine room filled with water.
The tanker is currently surrounded by three Turkish military ships, as well as an emergency response vessel under the command of the Turkish Coast Guard.
Other developments
As a reminder, in early March, the Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz, which was transporting LNG, caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea. The incident may have been caused by an attack by a maritime drone. Russia has already claimed that a drone struck the tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.
