Two tankers belonging to Russia’s Shadow Fleet suffered explosions and caught fire in the Black Sea on Friday, prompting a major response from Turkish authorities to rescue them. All crew members on both ships were reported safe.
150,000 dwt 2002 built Suezmax Kairos He was the first to issue a distress call after an “external impact” was reported about 28 nautical miles off Kocaeli Province while sailing with ballast from Egypt to Novorossiysk. Turkish rescue services sent a fast rescue ship and an emergency response ship, evacuating all 25 crew members as a fire broke out on board the ship.
Within an hour, a second tanker arrived – the 2018-built Aframax with a capacity of 115,600 tons. Virat – It was reported “hit” approximately 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast to the east. Heavy smoke was detected in the engine room, but all 20 crew members were confirmed safe.
Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Oraloglu said initial assessments point to some form of “external interference”, with possibilities ranging from mine clearance to a missile or drone strike. He added that investigations are continuing and the reasons have not been confirmed.
The two tankers appear on Western sanctions lists as part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet. The Black Sea has witnessed sporadic mine accidents since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, with coastal countries periodically discovering drifting devices.
Turkish authorities said that firefighting and safety operations continued until Friday evening, as investigators worked to determine what struck the ships.
