Two oil tankers, reportedly part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” that caught fire off Turkey’s Black Sea coast may have been hit by mines, drones, or missiles, a senior Turkish official said Saturday.
The vessels, Kairos and Virat, were attacked in quick succession late Friday, prompting rescue operations. All crew members on both ships were reported safe.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said initial reports suggested the Kairos may have struck a mine, followed by news of an explosion on the Virat.
“Our crews indicate that there were explosions on the other ship as well, likely caused by external interference,” Uraloglu told broadcaster NTV early Saturday. “Potential causes could include a mine, missile, marine vessel, or drone, but we do not have definitive information yet.”
The OpenSanctions database, which tracks entities involved in sanctions evasion, identifies the vessels as part of a shadow fleet used to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has carried out successful naval attacks on Russian shipping, notably using marine drones packed with explosives, though these operations have mostly been confined to the northern Black Sea.
The Gambian-flagged Kairos caught fire about 28 nautical miles off Turkey’s Kocaeli province while sailing empty toward Russia’s Novorossiysk port, according to Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs. Less than an hour later, the Virat was reportedly struck about 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast.
Rescue teams were dispatched, and all 20 crew members aboard the Virat were safe, despite heavy smoke in the engine room. All 25 crew members on the Kairos were also safely evacuated, Kocaeli Governor Ilhami Aktas said.
According to VesselFinder, the Virat had been anchored north of the Bosphorus on Nov. 4, while the Kairos’ last reported position was south of the Dardanelles Strait on Nov. 26.
Both ships have been sanctioned by the U.S. and European authorities this year. OpenSanctions notes that the shadow tanker fleet generates multibillion-dollar revenue for the Kremlin, bypasses sanctions, disguises ownership, and poses environmental risks.
The Virat, built in 2018, has previously sailed under the flags of Barbados, Comoros, Liberia, and Panama, while the Kairos, built in 2002, was formerly flagged as Panamanian, Greek, and Liberian.
Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) reports that both ships frequently visit Russian ports, have a history of turning off their automatic identification systems, and have also docked at ports in China, Turkey, and India.