Two Tankers Catch Fire in the Black Sea After Being Hit, Says Turkey
ANKARA — Two commercial tankers caught fire in the Black Sea on Friday after sustaining impacts under unclear circumstances, Turkish maritime authorities reported. All crew members from both vessels were safely evacuated as rescue operations continued.
The first incident involved the Gambian-flagged tanker Kairos, which caught fire approximately 28 miles off the coast of Turkey’s Kocaeli province. The vessel was reportedly sailing empty toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk when it was damaged by what officials described as an “external impact.”
Within an hour, a second tanker, the Virat, was struck about 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. Heavy smoke filled its engine room, though all 20 crew members were confirmed safe. The Kairos’s 25 crew members were also successfully evacuated.
Kocaeli Governor Ilhami Aktas confirmed that “a large fire is taking place” and noted that authorities would issue a clearer statement once their investigation concludes. He did not speculate on whether sea mines or other hazards might have caused the incidents.
Both vessels have been identified by the OpenSanctions database as part of a “shadow fleet” used to evade international sanctions against Russia. The Virat was sanctioned earlier this year by the United States, European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Kairos was similarly sanctioned by the EU, UK, and Switzerland in recent months.
According to OpenSanctions, such vessels “provide multibillion-dollar revenues for the Kremlin bypassing sanctions” and pose “significant environmental threats.” Ukraine’s military intelligence service notes that both ships have previously called at Russian ports and have a history of disabling their automatic identification systems to obscure their movements.
Rescue teams remain on scene as efforts to control the fires continue. The incidents highlight ongoing risks in Black Sea shipping lanes amid continued regional instability.
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