A Turkish tanker carrying Russian oil was attacked on its way to the Bosphorus

On the night of March 26, in the Black Sea, 15 nautical miles from the entrance to the Bosphorus, the tanker Altura, operated by a Turkish company and flying the flag of Sierra Leone, was attacked. The ship was coming from Russia with a cargo of oil.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the attack was carried out by a marine drone: “The tanker reported an explosion in the engine room. We believe this was the target of the attack. We are talking about a marine drone, not an unmanned aerial vehicle.”

He did not clarify whether the attack took place in Turkish territorial waters and was not quick to assign responsibility. “The purpose of the strike was to completely deprive the ship of its speed. The necessary services have been sent to the site, we are monitoring the situation,” the minister said.

According to Turkish media, significant damage was caused not only to the engine room, but also to the captain’s bridge. There is a hole in the hull; the ship took on water. The team consisted of 27 sailors, all of them Turkish citizens. There were no casualties.