SINOP — Three oil tankers were attacked by drones on Thursday off Turkey’s Black Sea coast near Sinop. The vessels—Altura, Velora, and James II—appear on Western sanctions lists as part of a 'shadow fleet' used to export Russian oil and petroleum products in an effort to evade sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Palau-flagged James II was sailing 80 kilometers north of Turkeli district in Sinop when it was struck and was not carrying any cargo. The Sierra Leone–flagged Altura and Velora were targeted while conducting ship-to-ship operations nearby, according to a statement from Tribeca Shipping cited by Turkish media.
Crews aboard all three tankers were unharmed in the attacks. Turkish coast guard vessels were dispatched to the area to assist following the incidents. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone strikes.
The Altura had been previously damaged on March 26 by a naval drone as it approached the Black Sea entrance to the Bosporus, an attack that affected its bridge and engine room. Both the Altura and Velora are owned by Turkey-based Pergamon Shipping, according to the OpenSanctions website. The James II is owned by Marshall Islands–registered James Navigation.
Ukraine has carried out successful naval strikes against Russian-linked shipping during the war, frequently deploying explosive-laden marine drones. Ukrainian naval operations have historically been concentrated in the northern Black Sea, though the latest attacks occurred farther south along the Turkish coast. In November, the Turkish government condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea, stating they posed “serious risks to navigation, life, property and environmental safety in the region.” Turkish officials were unavailable for comment on the latest incidents.