Three tankers were reportedly attacked by drones in the Black Sea near Turkey’s northern coast on Thursday, with all crew members reported safe, according to the İstanbul-based shipping agency Tribeca.
The Palau-flagged tanker James II, which was carrying no cargo, was about 80 kilometers north of Türkeli in the Black Sea when the incident occurred, the agency said.
Two Sierra Leone-flagged tankers, the Altura and the Velora, were also reportedly attacked in nearby waters while conducting a ship-to-ship operation. Both vessels were also sailing without cargo at the time.
Coastal safety and rescue boats were dispatched to assist the vessels, and all crew members were reported to be in good condition.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry was not immediately available for comment due to the Eid al-Adha holiday.
The incident comes amid renewed concern over maritime security in the Black Sea, where Russia and Ukraine have frequently targeted one another’s ports, energy infrastructure and vessels since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Altura was previously targeted by drones in March while carrying Russian oil near the entrance to the Bosporus, according to media reports. The crew was reported safe in that incident.
Turkey, whose northern coast faces Ukraine and Russian-annexed Crimea, has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow throughout the war and has repeatedly warned against the conflict spreading further across the Black Sea.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned in December that the Black Sea should not become an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine after a series of strikes on ships in the region.
Ankara also complained at the time of a “worrying escalation” after attacks claimed by Ukraine targeted tankers linked to Russia off the Turkish coast.
A Turkish vessel was later damaged in a Russian airstrike near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, hours after Erdoğan spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Analysts have warned that attacks on commercial vessels and tankers in the Black Sea pose growing risks to shipping, energy transport and regional security, particularly as the war increasingly spills into waters close to Turkey.