The Turkish maritime authority reports a tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea

ANKARA, Turkey -- A tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea, the Turkish maritime authority said Tuesday, days after two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers were attacked by Ukrainian naval drones. The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said the MIDVOLGA-2 came under attack about 130 kilometers (80 miles) off the Turkish coast. The 13 crew members were unharmed and the vessel has not requested assistance.

 Worrying escalation” of the conflict.

It was heading toward the Turkish port of Sinop, the maritime authority said in a statement on X.On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against Ukraine’s drone attack on two Russian vessels, the Kairos and Virat, saying it signaled a “worrying escalation” of the conflict.

Where Turkish President  hadcriticized drone attacks by saying" "We cannot under any circumstances accept these attacks, which threaten the safety of navigation, the environment and lives in our exclusive economic zone," he said of the initial drone attacks which took place on Friday. "The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has clearly reached a stage where it threatens the safety of navigation in the Black Sea."

Kairos and Virat

 Related : Ukraine claims responsibility for attack targeting two Russian oil tankers off the coast of Türkiy

Friday’s attacks against the Kairos and Virat occurred inside Turkey’s exclusive economic zone. Crew members on board both vessels were reported to be safe.

Successful naval strikes against Russian shipping

The OpenSanctions database, which tracks people or organizations involved in sanctions evasion, describes the vessels as part of a fleet of ships used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian shipping during the war, particularly using explosives-packed marine drones. However, Ukrainian missions have previously largely been limited to the waters of the northern Black Sea.

About MIDVOLGA 2

It is noteworthy that according to Vessel Finder The current position of MIDVOLGA 2 is at Azov Sea reported 11 days ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to the port of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, sailing at a speed of 75.7 knots and expected to arrive there on Nov 23, 08:00. The vessel MIDVOLGA 2 (IMO 9735139, MMSI 273376900) is a Chemical/Oil Products Tanker built in 2014 (11 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Russia.

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