A drone has struck a tanker carrying Russian crude oil in the Black Sea, near Istanbul, leading to an explosion close to the strategic Bosphorus Strait.
Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed that all 27 crew members aboard the vessel, identified as the Altura, are safe and uninjured. The Turkish coast guard promptly dispatched assistance to the ship following the incident.
The oil tanker, which had departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk carrying approximately one million barrels of oil, was reportedly targeted in its engine room.
This event marks the latest in a series of attacks against sanctioned vessels associated with Russia, occurring amid persistent tensions in the Black Sea stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.
Turkey has announced that it is closely monitoring drone-related risks in the region, issuing warnings about potential threats to commercial shipping and overall navigation safety.