Two Russian tankers, part of a shadow fleet under international sanctions, were set ablaze in the Black Sea on March 31, 2023, following suspected drone strikes carried out by the Ukrainian Navy. The incidents occurred off the Turkish coast and prompted extensive rescue operations, successfully evacuating all crew members from both vessels.
The first tanker, the Kairos, measuring 274 meters in length, was en route from Egypt to Russia’s Novorossiysk port when it suffered an explosion approximately 28 nautical miles offshore. The Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure confirmed that all 25 crew members were safely evacuated by teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety. In a statement, the ministry reported, “During the Egypt-Russia voyage, the 25 personnel on the Kairos where a fire broke out due to an explosion have been safely evacuated by our teams.”
Turkish rescue vessels, including the tugboat Kurtarma-12 and the emergency response vessel Nene Hatun, worked tirelessly throughout the night to combat the blaze. The ministry noted that “the fire on the open deck has been completely extinguished, and extinguishing and cooling efforts continue in the enclosed areas.”
Later the same day, a second tanker, the Virat, was struck approximately 35 nautical miles offshore. Although heavy smoke was detected in the engine room, all 20 crew members were reported to be in good condition. In response, Turkish rescue units and a commercial vessel were dispatched to assist with the situation. The scenario escalated early on the following morning when the Virat was attacked again by unmanned vessels, sustaining minor damage to its starboard side. Despite the second assault, the Turkish ministry assured that “the vessel is maintaining its stable condition” and that “the crew’s health condition is good.”
Both the Kairos and the Virat are under sanctions for their roles in transporting Russian oil. The Kairos is subject to sanctions from the UK and EU, while the Virat faces sanctions from the U.S. and EU. Ukrainian officials claimed responsibility for the drone strikes, with an official from the Security Service of Ukraine stating to Reuters that the naval drones targeted the two tankers as they were heading to a Russian port to load oil for foreign markets.
“Video shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official remarked.
The incidents underscore escalating concerns regarding Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a collection of vessels operating without standard regulatory oversight. Maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann from Windward AI pointed out that the Kairos was recently removed from the Gambian ship registry due to fraudulent certificate claims. “So this vessel is flagless, stateless, and any insurance and class (if it has any) is invalidated by the fact that it’s falsely purporting to fly the flag of Gambia,” Bockmann explained, adding that “the dark fleet is an accident waiting to happen, and incidents like this are but a harbinger of what is to come.”
These strikes represent a notable escalation in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. While Ukraine has previously targeted Russian oil refineries using long-range aerial drones, the recent attacks on tankers at sea indicate a shift in tactics. Uncrewed naval drones have become a crucial element in Ukraine’s counteroffensive strategy in the Black Sea, assisting in pushing back Russian warships.
In a related development, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, responsible for transporting over 1% of global oil, halted operations after a mooring at Russia’s Black Sea terminal was significantly damaged during another Ukrainian drone attack. This consortium primarily exports oil from Kazakhstan through Russia. The government of Kazakhstan condemned the attack as unacceptable.
As firefighting efforts continue, Turkish environmental experts and diver teams remain on standby in the region for inspections. Notably, the incidents did not disrupt shipping traffic through the Bosphorus Strait, which is operating normally.
