An unidentified drone struck the Turkish tanker Altura in the Black Sea while it was transporting crude oil from Russia. The attack took place 15 nautical miles from the Bosporus Strait near the Turkish coast. Consequently, the explosion caused significant damage to the vessel’s deck, bridge, and engine room.
Bloomberg reports that the Suezmax-sized tanker was fully laden with approximately 1 million barrels of Urals crude from Novorossiysk. Following the blast, the engine room began taking on water, but the crew of 27 Turkish citizens escaped without injuries. The Turkish Coast Guard and emergency response vessels deployed to the scene immediately after receiving a distress signal. Currently, officials have not confirmed whether the strike involved an aerial or a surface sea drone.
Details of the Altura Incident and the Shadow Fleet
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Altura is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Russia utilizes these vessels to transport oil and fuel while bypassing international sanctions. Specifically, this tanker moved roughly 6 million barrels of Russian oil between January 2024 and July 2025. While the Altura is sanctioned by the UK and the EU, it is currently not on the US sanctions list.
Security risks in the Black Sea continue to escalate. For instance, a fixed-wing drone hit the container ship Aurelia in January after it departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk. That vessel was 90 nautical miles offshore during the incident. The crew of 16 remained unharmed, and the ship eventually reached the port of Samsun. No party has officially claimed responsibility for that attack, and official comments remain unavailable.
Previously, The Ukrainian Review reported that a Russian drone struck a power plant chimney in Estonia. This event highlights the expanding geographical reach of security threats linked to Russian activities in the region.
