Two tankers from Russia's shadow fleet explode in Black Sea
That is according to Bloomberg, Ukrinform reports.
The first, the 900-foot Kairos, was taking on water after an explosion, according to a local port agent report.
Turkey's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs confirmed the incident and said a second ship, the Virat, had also been struck near its coastline and was billowing smoke. The causes are unclear and a rescue operation for both ships was underway.
The pair are two of hundreds of vessels that were amassed to help keep Russia's oil moving after it invaded Ukraine. Kairos is sanctioned by the UK and European Union, while Virat was designated by the U.S. and EU.
Kairos is a Suezmax-class vessel whose previous voyage was from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Paradip in India, hauling Moscow’s flagship crude grade Urals. It was heading back to the Russian port to load its next cargo at the time of the incident.
Like the Kairos, the Virat was empty at the time it was struck. It appears to have been idling in the western part of the Black Sea for most of the year after appearing on a U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist on January 10.
Spain's navy, which issues navigational warnings in the region, says there is also a significant risk posed by floating mines in parts of the Black Sea since the conflict began.
In December 2024, the Russian oil tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank near the shore in the Kerch Strait due to a severe storm. Later, more than 700 tonnes of fuel-contaminated sand and soil were collected in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Illustrative photo
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