Drone attacks oil tanker off Türkiye bound for Russian port

A drone attacked an oil tanker heading for the Russian port of Novorossiysk off the Black Sea coast near Türkiye.

Source: Ortadoğu, Turkish political news website

Details: The incident reportedly took place about 50 km off the Abana district in Kastamonu Province. The drone struck the Palau-flagged tanker Elbus.

The tanker has been damaged, with the upper part of the vessel hit. No crew members have been injured.

The coastguard has arrived at the scene and the damaged tanker is being towed to port for a detailed inspection.

Background:

• It was reported earlier that two sanctioned tankers Kairos і Virat caught fire in the Black Sea off the coast of Türkiye as a result of external strikes. It later emerged that the incident had been a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine.
• Later it was reported that explosions damaged the Mersin, an oil tanker linked to Russia, off the coast of Senegal in West Africa. And the tanker Midvolga-2, travelling from Russia to Georgia, was attacked in the Black Sea approximately 80 miles (around 120 km) off the coast of Türkiye on 2 December 2025.
• On 10 December 2025, three unmanned surface vessels hit the Gambia-flagged tanker Dashan, which is under sanctions for alleged ties to Russia's shadow fleet.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!