Two oil tankers sailing under the Gambian flag were hit by explosions and a fire Friday evening in the Black Sea, near the Turkish coast. No casualties were reported, and according to Turkey, no pollution has been detected so far.

Incident details

1. Kairos oil tanker:
2. The ship, empty and en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, caught fire about 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast.
3. The fire started around 6:00 PM local time (3:00 PM GMT) off the coast of Kefken, Kocaeli province.
4. The 25 crew members were evacuated and are safe , but fire and thick smoke are still visible on board, according to the Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs (DGM). The ship was built in 2002.
5. Virat oil tanker:
6. The second tanker reported being hit at a distance of approximately 35 nautical miles. The exact nature of the impact was not specified.
7. Its 20 crew members are also safe and sound , but thick smoke has been detected in the engine room.
8. Rescue teams and a cargo ship were dispatched to the scene. The Virat is a newer vessel, dating from 2018.

Context and possible causes

Turkish authorities have not determined the exact cause of these disasters.

However, the area faces the threat of floating sea mines . Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, numerous mines have been located and destroyed in the Black Sea. These munitions, initially used by the warring parties to protect their coastlines, have drifted out to sea following storms.

Faced with this danger, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania (three NATO member countries bordering the Black Sea) established a naval group for mine action in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea) in 2024.