A crude oil tanker was struck by a naval drone in the Black Sea near Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait Thursday morning. The ship, operated by a Turkish company, had departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk and was en route to Istanbul.
The attack targeted the ship’s engine room, causing an explosion, but no injuries or oil spill were reported. Maritime authorities confirmed the suspected undersea attack early Thursday.
The tanker was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil at the time of the incident. Turkish officials confirmed the damage to the vessel following the drone strike.