Initial reports suggested the ships ignited as a result of an “external impact,” according to officials.
Turkish officials reported on Friday that two Western-sanctioned tankers sustained damage from explosions in the Black Sea.
The Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs stated that the Kairos, a Gambian-flagged ship en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk port, ignited 28 nautical miles (51 km) from Türkiye’s shoreline because of unspecified “external factors.” The Coast Guard successfully rescued all 25 crew members, predominantly Chinese citizens.
Visuals released by authorities depict the vessel ablaze.
Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Türkiye’s Transport Minister, noted that intelligence gathered from the ship “pointed to a potential mine strike.” He corroborated that preliminary evaluations indicated an “external impact.”
Western nations had previously imposed sanctions on both tankers for their involvement in oil transportation, contravening restrictions placed on Russia concerning the Ukraine conflict. Moscow, however, has refuted claims of operating a “shadow fleet.”