Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking oil tankers in Black Sea
Russia has formally accused Ukraine of launching attacks against two oil tankers in the Black Sea that were heading toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Moscow characterized the incidents as attempts to undermine international peace efforts, while Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the allegations.
Russia has formally accused Ukraine of conducting attacks against two commercial oil tankers operating in the Black Sea earlier this week. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow "strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and the actions of all parties involved in their planning and implementation," characterizing the incidents as deliberate attempts to disrupt international efforts aimed at achieving sustainable peace in the region.
The Tanker Incidents and Turkish Response
The accusations follow incidents involving two empty tankers—the KAIROS and VIRAT—that reported being struck approximately 28 and 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast respectively. Turkish maritime authorities confirmed that rescue operations successfully evacuated all crew members from both vessels, with Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu noting that operations were conducted with full coordination among relevant Turkish institutions following the explosions.
Pipeline Terminal Attack and International Reaction
Separately, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium reported that unmanned boats damaged one of its terminal's single-point moorings in Novorossiysk during a morning attack, prompting the suspension of loading operations. Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry issued a formal protest over what it described as "another deliberate attack" on the terminal and expressed expectation that Ukraine would take "effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future."
Russian Allegations and Navigation Concerns
Zakharova claimed that Ukrainian security services had "effectively claimed involvement" in both incidents by publishing video evidence in Ukrainian media outlets. The spokeswoman further argued that the attacks represent a threat to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea waterway and called for international condemnation. Ukrainian authorities have not issued any official statements regarding the incidents and have yet to respond to Russia's allegations.
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