Russian tanker struck off Turkiye as Ukraine targets ‘shadow fleet’

The reported onslaught connected the Midvolga-2 comes days aft Ukraine deed 2 different Russian-flagged ships successful the Black Sea.

A Russian-flagged tanker successful the Black Sea has reported being attacked disconnected the Turkish coast, the 3rd specified vas to person been targeted wrong a week.

The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said connected Tuesday that the Midvolga-2 had reported coming nether onslaught astir 130km (80 miles) from land.

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The tanker was reportedly carrying sunflower lipid to Georgia. The onslaught follows strikes by Ukrainian naval drones connected 2 Russian-flagged vessels that Kyiv said were portion of Russia’s “shadow fleet” shipping crude exports successful usurpation of planetary sanctions.

Friday’s strikes saw Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pass that attacks connected commercialized shipping successful the Black Sea signalled a “worrying escalation” of the struggle betwixt Russia and Ukraine.

The 13 members of the Midvolga-2 unit were unharmed, the directorate said connected X, adding that the vas had not requested assistance and it was proceeding towards Turkiye’s Sinop port.

It did not supply further details, but Turkish TV transmission NTV reported that a kamikaze drone was used.

A Turkish authoritative told the Reuters quality bureau that successful effect to the incident, “the indispensable messages were conveyed to the applicable parties, including Ukrainian authorities”.

Turkish balancing act

The Kairos and the Virat were targeted connected Friday by Ukraine arsenic they headed to a Russian larboard to load up with lipid destined for overseas markets, a Kyiv authoritative told Reuters.

A full of 113 specified vessels sailed nether a mendacious emblem successful the archetypal 9 months of this year, transporting immoderate 11 cardinal tonnes of Russian crude, valued astatine 4.7 cardinal euros ($5.4bn), according to a caller study by the Centre for Research connected Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based deliberation tank.

NATO subordinate Turkiye has maintained cordial relations with some Kyiv and Moscow passim the war, which was triggered erstwhile Russia launched a full-scale penetration of its neighbour successful February 2022.

It has sought to presume a relation arsenic a mediator, hosting 3 rounds of bid talks.

As portion of NATO, Ankara has provided subject enactment to Ukraine. However, it has refused to articulation Western sanctions against the Kremlin and insisted that navigational information beryllium maintained successful the Black Sea.

“We cannot condone these attacks, which endanger navigational safety, life, and the environment, particularly successful our ain exclusive zone,” Erdogan said successful a televised code connected Monday, adding that Turkiye had issued a informing to “all related sides”.

Crude target

Kyiv, which for years has sustained dense attacks targeting its vigor infrastructure, has focused successful caller months connected disrupting Russia’s lipid manufacture successful a bid to starve Moscow of funds to prolong its war.

It has concentrated occurrence connected Russian refineries and crude terminals.

Russia’s overseas ministry said connected Sunday that Ukrainian attacks connected lipid tankers and infrastructure successful the Black Sea were “acts of terrorism” that threatened state of navigation successful the region.

A Ukrainian drone onslaught caused a occurrence astatine an lipid installation successful the confederate Russian portion of Oryol, authorities said connected Tuesday.