Turkish oil tanker attacked by drone: first official statement made

In Turkey, it is believed that the attack on the crude oil tanker ALTURA in the Black Sea was carried out deliberately.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to TRT Haber, Turkey's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a corresponding statement.

"After midnight, an explosion occurred in the engine room of a vessel sailing under a foreign flag and loaded with crude oil from Russia (the owner has not yet been identified). Our main search and rescue center promptly received the information, after which the necessary coast guard and security service units were dispatched to the scene. We believe that the engine room was chosen as a target deliberately. There is a possibility that the strike was carried out using an unmanned surface vessel. This is not an aerial attack. Our technical specialists have already been sent to the scene and will determine the exact cause within the coming hours. Based on their findings, we will make a more detailed statement; however, it is obvious that the explosion was the result of external interference. This was a deliberate act aimed at completely disabling the vessel," the head of the ministry emphasized.

Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also expressed his opinion on whether this attack could be linked to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

"At this point, the situation appears to be exactly that. This is an oil tanker, not a dry cargo vessel. Consequently, one can speak of high risks in this context. The vessel is transporting crude oil. At the same time, the entire crew consists of Turkish citizens, with 27 of our compatriots on board. There are no casualties among them, and no health issues have been recorded. Nevertheless, we have dispatched the appropriate teams to the scene of the incident and continue to monitor the developments," he added.

The Turkish tanker ALTURA carrying crude oil was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea.

As reported by Oxu.Az with reference to NTV.com, the tanker, which had departed from Russia and was carrying 140 thousand tons of crude oil, was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea approximately 15 miles from the Bosphorus.

During the attack, a powerful explosion occurred. The deck and bridge of the vessel were damaged. It is also reported that due to severe damage, the vessel began taking on water.

The crew, consisting of 27 Turkish citizens, requested assistance, and a coast guard and response vessel were dispatched to the scene. No casualties have been reported, and the condition of the crew members is assessed as good.