A sanctioned Russian tanker, Kairos, is reported to have been damaged in an explosion near the Bosporus Strait in the Black Sea on 28 November. The vessel is linked to Moscow's so-called shadow fleet used to evade Western restrictions on Russia's energy exports.

Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Türkiye's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said that the Kairos reported "an external impact" while en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, 28 nautical miles from the Turkish coast.

The explosion caused a fire in the vessel's engine room, and Turkish rescue workers launched an operation to evacuate the 25 crew members on board.

The Kairos has likely struck a mine and may sink, according to the Tribeca shipping agency. Rescue tugs and the coast guard were dispatched to provide assistance.

A source told Reuters that another tanker, Virat, has also suffered an explosion in the Black Sea. Both vessels appear on the list of sanctioned ships linked to Russia's shadow fleet.

Background:

• In 2023, a Liberian-flagged tanker carrying petroleum products was hit by a naval mine in the Black Sea near the coast of Romania.
• In 2022, an explosion occurred for unknown reasons on an oil tanker in the Turkish port of Samsun.

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