Two Tankers From Russia’s Shadow Fleet Explode In The Black Sea

Two sanctioned tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet exploded near Turkey’s Black Sea coast, with crews reporting an external impact as authorities launched rescue operations and investigated the cause.

Two tankers sanctioned for transporting Russian oil exploded almost simultaneously near Turkey’s Black Sea coast.

Bloomberg reported this, according to Ukrinform.

According to a Turkish port agent, the tanker Kairos began taking on water after the explosion. The crew reported an “external impact.”

Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs confirmed the incident and reported that another tanker, Virat, also exploded near the coast and began emitting smoke. The exact cause of the explosions is unknown, and rescue operations were carried out for both vessels.

It is noted that these tankers belong to the shadow fleet transporting Russian oil. Kairos is sanctioned by the United Kingdom and the European Union, while Virat is subject to restrictions imposed by the United States and the EU.

Kairos, sailing under the flag of Gambia, is a Suezmax-class vessel that previously made a voyage from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Paradip, India, transporting Urals crude. According to Bloomberg, at the time of the incident it was returning to a Russian port for its next cargo.

Like Kairos, Virat was empty at the time of the incident. The tanker had likely been stationary for most of the year in the western Black Sea after being blacklisted by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control on January 10.

The Spanish Navy, which issues navigational warnings in this region, states that since the start of the full-scale war, certain areas of the Black Sea have posed a significant risk due to floating mines.

As Ukrinform reported, in December 2024, the Russian oil tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank near the shore in the Kerch Strait. The accident was caused by a severe storm. Later, in temporarily occupied Crimea, more than 700 tonnes of sand and soil contaminated with fuel oil were collected.

EMPR