Drone strikes oil tanker bound for Russia off Turkish coast in Black Sea

The Turkish publication Ortadoğu reported the information.

According to the publication, the incident occurred approximately 50 km from the Abana district in Kastamonu province. The Palau-flagged tanker Elbus came under drone attack. The strike damaged the upper part of the vessel. Preliminary reports indicate there were no casualties among the crew members.

The damaged vessel is being towed to the Turkish port of İnebolu for detailed inspection and security measures. After a technical inspection at the port, the source of the attack and the extent of the damage will be determined.

No official statement regarding the causes of the incident has been released yet. Turkish maritime services continue to monitor the situation.

As reported by Militarnyi, the tanker Elbus was heading to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, where it was scheduled to load oil.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data shows that after the attack, the vessel sharply changed course and turned toward the Turkish coast.

Background: The tanker Elbus was built in 2005. It is nearly 275 meters long, 48 meters wide, and has a total cargo capacity of approximately 160,000 tons.

• On the morning of January 7, the United States detained the sanctioned oil tanker M/T Sophia in the Caribbean Sea.