Overview
- Explosions struck the Gambian-flagged tankers Kairos and Virat off Turkey’s Black Sea coast on Friday, with the Kairos catching fire about 28 nautical miles from Kocaeli and the Virat reporting a hit roughly 35 nautical miles offshore.
- All crew members are safe after evacuations — 25 from the Kairos and 20 from the Virat — and officials reported no pollution, though the Kairos continued to burn as authorities monitored the area.
- Turkey’s transport minister said initial assessments point to an external impact, listing possibilities such as mines, rockets, drones or unmanned underwater vehicles, and an investigation is underway.
- On Saturday, the Turkish Transport Ministry reported the Virat was targeted again by unmanned marine vehicles, causing minor damage above the waterline with no fire and the crew unharmed.
- A Ukrainian security source told AFP that Sea Baby drones hit the tankers in a joint SBU–navy operation, saying the vessels were empty and bound for Novorossiysk, and both ships are described in reports as sanctioned components of Russia’s ‘ghost fleet.’