Three tankers reportedly attacked by drones in Black Sea, shipping agency says

Above, ships at the entrance of Bosphorus in the Black Sea off the coast off Kumkoy, north of Istanbul, on Nov. 2, 2022. (AFP file photo)

• Coastal safety ‌boats were sent to ‌the scene for assistance and all crew members in the tankers were reported in good condition

ISTANBUL: ‌Drone attacks were reported on three tankers in the Black Sea on Thursday near Turkiye’s northern coast, shipping agency Tribeca said.
The tanker James II, sailing under the Palau flag and in ballast, was some 50 miles (80 km) north ‌of the Turkeli ‌Area in the Black ‌Sea ⁠when the incident ⁠occurred, the agency said.
The tankers Altura and Velora, sailing under the Sierra Leone flag and in ballast, were reportedly attacked in a ⁠nearby area while doing a ‌ship-to-ship ‌operation, the agency also said.
Coastal safety ‌boats were sent to ‌the scene for assistance and all crew members in the tankers were reported in good condition, the ‌agency said.
Moscow and Kyiv have frequently attacked one ⁠another’s ⁠ports and tankers since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. Neither country immediately claimed responsibility for the new reported attack.
The Turkish transport ministry was not immediately available for comment on the incidents due to the Muslim Eid holiday.