Overview
- The Palau-flagged tanker Elbus reported a drone strike about 30 miles off Abana in Turkey’s Kastamonu province.
- The blast damaged the upper section of the vessel, and preliminary reports indicated no crew injuries.
- After a distress call, the Turkish Coast Guard dispatched a team as the ship was towed toward Inebolu, with MarineTraffic and VesselFinder showing slow movement toward the port.
- Officials in Turkey, Russia and Ukraine had issued no statements assigning responsibility or detailing the cause at the time of reporting.
- A Ukrainian-linked Telegram channel alleged Elbus is part of Russia’s sanctions‑evading “shadow fleet” and bound for Novorossiysk, while Ukraine’s SBU has claimed similar maritime drone attacks in the past year.