Drone attacks hit three tankers in Black Sea near Turkey

Three tankers were struck by drones in the Black Sea off Turkey’s northern coast on Thursday, a burst of maritime violence that pushed the security threat closer to one of the region’s most watched shipping lanes. Shipping agency Tribeca identified the vessels as James II, Altura and Velora, and all crew members were reported safe and in good condition after coastal safety boats were sent to assist.

James II, a Palau-flagged tanker sailing in ballast, was about 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, north of the Turkeli area when it was hit, with one report saying the damage reached its engine room. Altura and Velora, both Sierra Leone-flagged and also in ballast, were struck nearby while carrying out ship-to-ship operations, a transfer method that has become a particular concern for insurers and maritime security specialists because it is harder to secure and monitor than ordinary passage.

The attacks added to concern over a stretch of water that is strategically important for commercial shipping, sanctions enforcement and global energy transport. Multiple reports described the three vessels as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the aging tanker network used to move oil and petroleum products while evading Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. At least one report said James II had previously been identified as part of that fleet, while another said Altura had already been hit by a drone in March.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, leaving open whether the strikes were carried out by Ukraine, another actor or an unknown force. Even without casualties, the incidents are likely to pressure shipowners and insurers already pricing in a wider war risk across the Black Sea, where drone attacks have increasingly complicated the movement of sanctioned cargoes and raised the chance of disruption to energy shipping routes.

Türkiye has recently expressed concern about drone-related tanker incidents off its Black Sea coast, and the latest strikes extend that risk zone closer to Turkish waters. For governments and traders watching the route, the message is blunt: the Black Sea is no longer just a rear area for the war in Ukraine, but a frontline for maritime security, sanctions enforcement and the cost of moving oil at sea.