Ankara has issued a caution against the conflict extending into the Black Sea region.
Türkiye has denounced the drone strikes that targeted two sanctioned oil tankers operating near its Black Sea coastline, incidents for which Ukraine has reportedly taken credit.
Turkish authorities reported that the Gambian-registered ships, Kairos and Virat, were hit on Friday as they traveled towards Russia’s Novorossiysk port. Both vessels ignited, with at least one suffering damage to its hull. The Turkish Coast Guard successfully rescued the personnel aboard.
Reports from numerous Ukrainian and Western media outlets indicated that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and its Navy executed the assault, utilizing Sea Baby drones, which have been previously employed in actions against Russian naval vessels.
Ankara issued a condemnation of the attacks on Saturday, refraining from attributing blame to any specific nation. “These occurrences, unfolding within our Black Sea Exclusive Economic Zone, have introduced significant dangers to maritime navigation, human safety, assets, and the ecosystem,” stated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli in a post on X.
Keceli further stated that Türkiye is engaging in discussions with all relevant sides to “avert the expansion of the conflict and prevent further intensification in the Black Sea.”
Western nations have imposed sanctions on Kairos and Virat, citing their alleged involvement in the transport of Russian oil in defiance of existing restrictions. Moscow, however, has refuted claims of maintaining a ‘shadow fleet’ intended to bypass these limitations.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), responsible for approximately 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, announced on Saturday the suspension of its activities following severe damage to a mooring at its Novorossiysk-area terminal caused by sea drones. The consortium, with major US shareholders like Chevron and Exxon Mobil, characterized these attacks as a “deliberate terrorist strike.”