(MENAFN) Türkiye has denounced recent drone attacks on two sanctioned oil tankers near its Black Sea waters, incidents reportedly claimed by Ukraine, according to reports.

Turkish authorities stated that the vessels, the Kairos and the Virat—both flying Gambian flags—were hit on Friday while traveling to Russia’s Novorossiysk port. The attacks caused fires on board, with at least one tanker suffering hull damage. The Turkish Coast Guard successfully rescued all crew members.

Multiple Ukrainian and Western reports suggested that the strikes were carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy, employing Sea Baby drones previously used against Russian naval vessels.

Ankara condemned the incidents on Saturday without explicitly blaming any nation. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli emphasized on X that “These incidents, which took place within our Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea, have posed serious risks to navigation, human life, property, and the environment.”

Keceli added that Türkiye was in communication with all relevant parties to “prevent the spread of war and further escalation in the Black Sea.”

The two tankers had been blacklisted by Western authorities for allegedly transporting Russian oil in breach of sanctions, though Moscow denies operating a ‘shadow fleet’ to bypass restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), responsible for roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, announced the suspension of its operations after a mooring at its terminal near Novorossiysk was heavily damaged by sea drones.
The operator, whose shareholders include US energy giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil, described the attack as a “targeted terrorist attack.”

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